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B  ARI^    PLAN  8 


AND 


OUTBUILDINGS. 


TWO   HUNDRED   AND   FIFTY-SEVEN    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


NEW   YORK: 

ORANGE    JUDD    COMPANY, 

751  BROADWAY. 
1881. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1881,  by  the 

ORANGE   JL'BD    COMPANY, 

lii  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


List  of  Illustrations vii 

Publishers'  Announcement x 

Introduction xi 

CHAPTER  I.— General  Farm  Barns. 
The  Bam  of  Mr.  David  Lyman ;  Mr.  Lawson  Valentine's  Bam  ; 
An  Ohio  Barn  ;  A  Missouri  Bam  ;  A  Good  Farm  Bam  ;  Another 
Bam  for  Mixed  Farming ;  Mr.  Charles  S.  Sargent's  Bam ; 
A  Plau  for  a  Small  Bam  ;  Another  Small  Barn  ;  The  "  Echo 
Farm  "  Barn 13^2 

CHAPTEPv  IL— Cattxe  Barns  and  Stables. 
A  Cattle  Barn  ;  A  Western  Cattle  Bam  ;  A  Second  Western  Cattle 
Barn  ;   Covered  Stalls  for  Cattle ;    Cheap  Cattle  Sheds  and 
Barns  ;   Cheap  Barn  and  Connecting  Stables ;    A  Temporary 
CatUe  Shed  ;  A  Combined  Cow  Shed  and  Pigpen 43-58 

CHAPTER  ni.— Dairy  Barns. 
A  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dairy  Barn  ;    An  Orange  Co.,  N.  T., 

Dairy  Bam ;  An  Extension  Dairy  Bam 59-65 

CHAPTER  IV.— Cattle  Shelters. 
An  Archway  Shelter ;    Cheap  Temporary  Shelters  for  Stock  ; 

Cattle  Shelters  on  the  Plains 66-73 

CHAPTER  v.— Sheep  Barns  and  Sheds. 
A  Convenient  Sheep  Bam  ;    Sheep  Sheds  and  Racks  ;  Shed  for 
Soiling  Sheep  ;   Virginia  Sheep  Bam ;    A  Kansas  Sheep  Shel- 
ter ;   Sheep  Shelter  on  the  Plains 74-85 

CHAPTER  VI.— Poultry  Houses. 
A  Cheap  and  Convenient  Poultry  House ;  An  Ohio  Poultry 
House;  Another  Cheap  Hen  House ;  Poultry  Houses  for 
Four  Varieties;  Poultry  House  for  a  Number  of  Breeds; 
Poultry  Farming  and  Hillside  Poultry  Houses  ;  Ducks  and 
Duck  Houses ;  Winter  Care  of  Fowls ;  Stove  for  Poultry 
Houses 86-103 

CHAPTER  VII.— Piggeries. 
Plan  of  a  Piggery;  A  Convenient  Farm  Piggery;  Mr.  Crozier's 
Pigpen  ;  A  Comfortable  Pigpen  ;  Pens  and  Yards  for  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty  Hogs  ;  A  Portable  Pigpen  ;  Pigp?n,  Hen 
House,  and  Com  Crib  Combined  ;  A  Pigpen  and  Tool  House  ; 
A  Cheap  Pigpen ;  Self-Closing  Door  for  Pigpen  ;  A  Swing- 
ing Door  for  Pigpen •   104^124 

V 


VI  TABLE   OF    CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII.— Carriage  IIodses. 
A  Combiaed  Carriage  and  Tool  House 125-127 

CHAPTER  IX.— Corn  Houses  and  Cribs. 
The  Connecticut  Corn  House  ;  An  Improved  Corn  House  ;  West- 
ern Corn  Houses  ;   Another  Western  Corn  House ;  A  Self- 
Feeding  Corn  Crib  ;  A  Self-Discharging  Corn  Crib  ;   A  Cover 
for  Corn  Cribs 128-139 

CHAPTER  X.— Ice  Houses. 
Ice  :  Its  Uses  and  Importance  ;   Plan  of  an  Ice  House  ;  A  Cheap 
Ice  House  ;  A  Small  Ice  House ;    Underground  Ice  Houses ; 
An  Ice  House  in  the  Barn  ;  Ice  without  Houses 140-153 

CHAPTER  XI.— Ice  Houses  and  Cool  Chambers. 
Several  Plans  ;   A  Chamber  Refrigerator 154-159 

CHAPTER  XII.— Dairy  Houses. 
Ice  House  and  Summer  Dairy  Combined  ;   A  Butter  Dairy  ;  A 

Pennsylvania  Dairy 1G0-1G9 

CHAPTER  XIII.— Spring  Houses. 
Interior  of   Spring  House  ;   A  Dome-shaped,   Concrete  Spring 

House 170-177 

CHAPTER   XIV.— GR.VNARIES,  etc. 
A  Granary  with  its  Grain  Bins  ;    Another  Granary  with  Plan  of 
Grain  Bins  ;   Plan  of  Corn  Crib  and  Granary ;    A  Measuring 
Grain  Bin  ;  Sliding  Spout  for  a  Bam  and  Granary  ;  Conven- 
ient Grain  Bin 178-186 

CHAPTER   XV.— Smoke  Houses. 
A  Convenient  Smoke  House  ;  Improved  Smoke  Houses  ;  Cheap 
Smoke  Houses ;  Smoking  Meats  in  a  Small  Way  ;  A  Smoke 
House  Convenience;  An  Oven  and  Smoke  House  Combined.. 187-198 

CHAPTER   XVI.— Dog  Kennels. 

Dog  Kennels 199-02 

CHAPTER    XVII.— Bird  Houses. 

Bird  Houses  ;  Pigeon  Houses 203-209 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— The  Preservation  of  Fodder  in  Silos. 
European  Methods  and   Experimcnta  ;    An  Amcncan  Silo  for 

Brewers'  (Jrains  ;  Silos  under  Stables  ;  Sour  Fodder  Making.. 210-228 

CHAPTER    XIX.— Root  Cellars  and  Root  Houses. 
Root  Cellars ;    A  Field  Root  Cellar  ;   Pits  for  Storing  Roots  ;  A 

Cave  for  Roots  ;  Preserving  Roots  in  Heaps '^24-233 


INDEX    TO    ILLUSTRATIOXS. 


Page. 

Mr.  P.  Ratchford  Starr's  Bam,  (Fron- 
ti45ioce.) 

Mr.  David  Lyman's  Barn    14 

Hay  Loft 15 

Feeding  Floor 17 

Basement 18 

Mr.  Lawson  Valentine's  Barn 20 

Basement 21 

Main  Floor 22 

Horse  Stall 22 

Mr.  Kyles"  Barn 24 

Stable  Floor 25 

Main  Floor 20 

Horse  Stall 26 

Cow  Stall 2G 

A  Missouri  Barn 27 

Plan  of 28 

Elevation  of  Barn 30 

Plan  of  Floor 31 

Barn  and  Stable 33 

Main  Floor 34 

Second  Story  35 

Mr.  C.  S.  Sargent's  Barn 37 

Basement  of 38 

Main  Floor 38 

A  Small  Barn 39 

Ground  Plan 40 

Loft 40 

Another  Small  Bam 41 

Floor  of 42 

Loftof 42 

A  Cattle  Bam 43 

Section  of 44 

Plan  of  Floor 45 

Section  of  Stall 46 

A  Western  Cattle  Barn 47 

Plan  of 48 

Elevation  of  Barn 49 

Plan  of  Cattle  Stalls 50 

Elevation  of 50 

Interior  of 51 

Plan  of  Cattle  Shed ...  Si 

Section  of 54 

VII 


Paqb. 

Section  of  Barn  and  Stable 55 

Plan  of 55 

Temporary  Cattle  Shed 56 

Ground  Plan  of 56 

Diagram  of 57 

Cow  Sbed  and  Pigpen 58 

Plan  of  ...        58 

Basement  of  Dairy  Bar.i 59 

Section  of  Dairy  Barn 59 

A  Westchester  Co.  Dairy  Barn 60 

Plan  of  Floor 61 

Orange  Co.  Dairy  Barn 62 

Main  Floor  ...   63 

Basement 62 

Plan  of  Dairy  Barn 63 

Dairy  Bam 64 

Frame  for  Archway  Shelter 66 

Archway  Under  Stack 67 

Shelter  of  Polos 69 

Shelter  Covered  with  Straw 69 

Cheap  Board  Shelter 70 

Shelter  Added  to  Side  of  Bam 70 

Cattle  Shelter  Covered  with  Straw.  71 

Cattle  Shelter  for  the  Plains 72 

Straw  Shelter  for  Cattle 73 

Sheep  Barn 74 

Side  of 75 

Door  of 76 

Basement 76 

Sheep  Shed 77 

Shed  for  Soiling  Sheep 78 

Plan  of  Yard 79 

Plan  of 79 

Virginia  Sheep  Bam 80 

Mr.  Geo.  Grant's  Sheep  Corral 82  i 

Mr.  W.  B.  Shaw's  Sheep  Sheds  ...  63 

Sheep  Shelter 84 

Concentric  Sheep  Shelter 85 

Poultry  House,  Ground  Plan  of 86 

Section  of 87 

Front  View 87 

Mr.  J.  U.  Kemp's  Poultry  House..  89 
i  Hen  Houee,  Section  of 90 


VIII 


IXDEX   TO    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page. 

Hen  House,  Plan  of ill 

Poultry  House,  Plan  of !l-2 

Plan  of  Roosts 02 

Roosts  for  Heavj-  Fowls 93 

Poultry  House  for  Several  Breeds  93-4 

Ground  Plan  of 95 

Section  of 96 

Hillside  Poultry  House 93 

Duck  House 99 

Ground  Plan  of 100 

Fowl  House,  Pian  of 101 

Section  of 102 

Stove 103 

Section  of  Stove IWi 

A  Piggery    105 

Ground  Plan  of lOG 

Front  Partition lOT 

Col.  F.  D.  Curtis"  Piggery 108-9 

Plan  of  Cellar 110 

Main  Floor 110 

Mr.  Wm.  Crozicr's  Piggery Ill 

Plan  of 112 

Interior  of 112 

Plan  of  Pigpen 113 

Pigpens,  Plan  of 115 

Section  of 116 

Safeguards 116 

Exterior  of  Pigpen 117 

A  Portable  Pigpen 118 

Yard  for 118 

Pigpen 119 

Side  View  of 120 

Ground  Plan  of    Pigpen    and 

Tool  House 120 

Pigpen  and  Tool  House 121 

Cheap  Pigpen 122 

Side  of 122 

Self-Closing  Door  to  Pigpen 123 

Swinging  Door  for  Pigpen 121 

Wagon  House,  Plan  of 125 

Upper  Floor 125 

Hoist  for  126 

Front  View 126 

Connecticut  f 'orn  House 128 

Tin  Pan  for  Post 129 

Two  Corn  Cribs  Roofed  Over 120 

An  Improved  Corn  House 130 

A  Large  Western  Corn  House 132 

End  View  of 1.'53 

Croxn  Section  of 131 

Another  Western  Corn  Hou9e 135 

A  Self-Feeding  Corn  Crib 136 


Page. 

Section  of  Corn  Crib 13S 

Board  Rafter  for  Corn  Crib 13S 

Cover  for  Com  Crib 139 

Frame  of  Ice  House  142 

Section  of  Ice  House 143 

Door  for  Ice  House 141 

Cheap  Ice  House 145 

Ground  Plan 146 

Mr.  D.  G.  Mitchell's  Ice  House 146 

Walls  of  Ice  House 147 

Vertical  Section 148 

Small  Ice  House  148 

Underground  Ice  House 150 

Framing  of 151 

Plan  of  Ice  House 151 

Ice  House  in  Barn  152 

An  Ice  Stack 153 

Ice  House  and  Cool  Chamber 154 

View  of  Cool  House 155 

Ice  House  and  Milk  Room 1.56 

Another  Ice  House  and  Cool  Room  157 

Ice  House  and  Refrigerator 158 

Ice  House  and  Dairy  Combined 160 

Ground  Plan ..161 

Plan  of  Upper  Part 161 

Section  of 162 

A  Butter  Dairy 163 

Interior  of  Churning  Room 164 

Interior  of  Milking  Room 165 

Ice  House  of 166 

A  Pennsylvania  Dairy  House 167 

Plan  of 163 

Doors  Open 169 

Doors  Closed l'J9 

Interior   of  Spring   House:    High 

Troughs 170 

Low  Troughs 171 

Exterior  of  Spring  House 172 

Spring  House.  Front  Elevation  of.  .174 

Ground  Plan  of 174 

Sectional  View  of 175 

A  Granary 178 

Bag  Sling 179 

Grain  Bin 179 

Section  of 180 

Ventilator  for. 181 

Section  of  Granary.   .   181 

Pliin  of  a  Granary 182 

Arrangement  of  Bins  in  Granary. .  .is.3 

Plan  of  Crib  and  (iranary 183 

Corn  Crib  and  Ciranary 184 

A  Measuring  Gram  Bin 185 


INDEX   TO    ILLUSTRATIOKS. 


IX 


Page. 

Sliding  Spout 186 

A  Grain  Bin 180 

Interior  of  Smoke  House 188 

An  Improved  Smoke  House 1S9 

Interior  of 189 

Hookfor  190 

"Wooden  Smoke  House 190 

Cheap  Smoke  House 191 

Section  of 191 

The  Arch 192 

Frame  for  Arch 192 

A  Pennsylvania  Smoke  House 192 

Substitute  for  a  Smoke  House.   ...193 

A  Smoke  House  Convenience liU 

Smoke  House  and  Oven 196 

Eear  View  of 197 

Smoke  House  and  Oven  Combined. 198 

A  Dog  Kennel 199 

A  Neat 200 

A  Cheap 200 

Kennel,  with  Yard,  for  Dogs 201 

Bird  Houses  203 

Frame  Work  of  Bird  House 204 

Bird  House,  complete 205 

Rustic  Pigeon  House  206 

Log  Cabin  Pigeon  House 206 


Page. 

Swiss  Pigeon  Cottage 207 

A  Neat  Pigeon  House  208 

Interior  of  Large  Pigeon  House 208 

Ensilage  Pit 211 

After  Covering  211 

After  Six  Months 211 

End  View 213 

Side  View 214 

Ground  View 215 

Silo 217 

Manner  of  Covering 218 

Silos  under  Stables 219 

Plan  of  Barn 220 

Pit  of  Sour  Fodder 223 

Root  Cellar 224 

Stone  Facing  for 225 

Excavation 226 

Complete 226 

A  Field  Root  Cellar  227 

Section  of 228 

Shutter  for  Pit 229 

Section  of  Root  Pit 229 

Prairie  Root  Cellar 2.30 

Care  for  Roots 231 

A  Root  Heap 232 

Covering,  etc 233 


PUBLISHERS'  ANNOUNCEMENT. 


Works  upon  Barns  and  Out-Door  Buildings  have 
hitherto  been  so  expensive  as  to  limit  their  circulation 
to  comparatively  few  in  number.  Their  prices  have 
ranged  from  Five  Dollars  uj)ward.  We  herewith  present 
to  the  public  a  Volume  of  two  hundred  and  thirty-five 
pages,  embracing  two  hundred  and  fifty-seven  engravings 
and  illustrations,  at  so  moderate  a  price  as  to  be  within 
the  reach  of  all.  Every  professional  builder,  and  every 
person,  be  he  farmer  or  otherwise,  who  intends  to  erect 
a  building  of  this  kind,  can,  in  this  book,  secure  a  wealth 
of  designs  and  plans,  for  a  comparatively  trifling  sum. 
The  bulk  of  the  work  has  been  performed  by  Doct.  Byron 
D.  Halsted,  whose  fitness  for  the  task  is  well  known. 


INTRODUCTIOK 


The  proper  and  economical  erection  of  Barns  and  Out- 
buildings requires  far  more  forethought  and  planning 
than  are  ordinarily  given  to  their  construction.  A  barn 
once  built  is  not  readily  moved,  or  altered  in  size  or  shape, 
and  the  same  may  be  said  of  a  corn  house,  a  poultry 
house,  or  even  a  pigpen. 

Only  the  most  general  rules  can  be  laid  down  to  guide 
one  in  the  selection  of  a  site  for  Barns  and  Outbuildings. 
Much  depends  upon  the  wants  to  be  consulted  and  met. 
Individual  taste  may,  and  often  does,  have  very  much  to 
do  in  determining  decisions.  If  possible,  the  barn  should 
be  located  upon  a  rise  of  ground,  where  a  cellar  can  be 
built,  opening  upon  the  lower  ground  to  the  rear.  The 
outbuildings  chould  not  be  so  close  to  the  house  as  to  ap- 
pear a  part  of  it,  nor  so  far  distant  as  to  be  inconvenient. 
The  old  practice  of  scattering  the  buildings  over  the 
farm,  a  sheep  barn  in  one  place,  and  a  cattle  barn  in 
another  locality,  etc.,  has  been  found  more  inconvenient 
and  expensive  than  to  group  them  near  each  other.  The 
labor  of  getting  the  crops  to  one  locality  is  less  than  that 
involved  in  passing  to  and  fro  to  feed  them  out  in  winter. 
All  the  outbuildings  are  more  or  less  dependent.  The 
corn  crib  bears  certain  relations  to  the  pigpen  and  tlie 
poultry  house,  etc.    The  same  ]mmp  may  serve  the  sheep, 

XI 


XII  INTRODUCTION. 

cattle,  and  other  farm  stock,  provided  they  are  housed 
close  by  it,  and  therefore  near  one  another. 

The  farmer  who  intends  to  erect  any  building  should 
first  consider  the  amount  he  wishes  to  store  in  it.  This 
calculation  must  be  based  upon  the  present  and  pro- 
spective size  of  his  farm,  the  number  of  acres  of  each 
crop,  the  kind  and  number  of  head  of  live  stock,  etc.,  etc. 
It  may  not  be  within  one's  power  to  go  into  every  minute 
detail ;  but  it  is  far  better  to  canvass  the  ground  thor- 
oughly, and  base  the  size  of  the  buildings  required  upon 
calculations  carefully  made,  than  upon  none  at  all.  In 
constructing  farm  buildings,  the  error  is  usually  on  the 
side  of  too  small  structures,  as  the  thousands  of  lean-to 
sheds,  ''annex"  stables,  and  hay  stacks,  etc.,  through 
the  country  testify  to. 

After  the  site  and  size  have  been  carefully  decided 
upon,  there  is  much  still  to  be  done,  to  make  the  out- 
l)uildings  present  a  neat  appearance.  Barns  can  be  pleas- 
ing objects,  and  impart  an  impression  of  comfort  and 
completeness  upon  all  who  see  them.  This  attractive  ap- 
pearance will  depend  upon  the  symmetry  and  exterior 
finish  of  the  buildings  themselves,  their  grouping,  the 
])lauting  of  suitable  shade  trees,  etc.,  etc. 


MR.    DAVID    LYMAN  S   BARJS".  13 

CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  FAEM  BARNS. 

With  the  increase  of  wealth,  and  we  may  add  of  good 
sense  and  enlarged  ideas,  among  the  farmers  of  the 
country,  there  is  a  gradual  but  very  decided  improvement 
in  farm  architecture.  Tlie  old  custom  was  to  build  small 
barns,  to  add  others  on  three  sides  of  a  yard,  perhaps  of 
several  yards,  and  to  construct  sheds,  pigpens,  com 
houses,  and  such  minor  structures  as  might  seem  desirable. 
In  the  course  of  a  few  years  the  group  of  roofs,  big  and 
little,  span  and  lean-to,  in  the  rear  of  a  large  farmer's 
dwelling,  would  present  the  appearance  of  a  small  crowded 
village.  Compared  with  a  well  arranged  barn,  a  group 
of  small  buildings  is  inconvenient  and  extremely  ex- 
pensive to  keep  in  good  repair. 

THE  BAKN"  OF  MR.  DAVID  LYMAN. 

Among  the  many  large  and  expensive  barns  now  scat- 
tered through  the  country,  there  are  few  more  thoroughly 
satisfactory  to  old  school  farmers  with  broad  ideas,  than 
one  built  by  the  late  Mr.  David  Lyman,  of  Middlefield, 
Connecticut.  Mr.  Lyman  required  a  very  large  barn  for 
his  farm  purposes  simply,  and  built  one,  a  front  view  and 
interior  plans  of  which  are  here  given.  The  elevation 
of  the  building,  figure  1,  shows  entrances  to  its  two  main 
floors  ;  there  is  a  basement  below. 

The  Upper,  or  Hay  Floor. — This  floor  is  shown  in 
figure  2  ;  all  the  hay,  grain,  and  straw  are  stored  here.  It 
maintains  the  same  level  throughout.  Two  thrashing 
floors  cross  the  building,  and  are  entered  from  the  high 
ground  on  the  west  by  a  very  easy  ascent.  The  main 
entrance  crosses  over  an  engine  room,  seen  in  figures  1  and 


14 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


MR.    DAVID    LYMAN  S    BARN. 


15 


3.     This   room  is  built  of  stone,  arched  above,  and  is 
roomy  as  well  as  secure. 

By  means  of  a  hay  fork  and  a  number  of  travellers, 
the  hay  is  taken  from  the  loads  and  dropped  in  any  j^art 
of  the  immense  bays.     The  forks  are  worked  by  one 


HAY      BAY 

a 

VENTILATOR 


Fig,  2.— PLAN  OF  HAT  FLOOR. 

horse,  attached  to  a  hoisting  machine,  of  which  there 
are  two,  placed  near  the  great  doors  during  the  haying 
season,  as  indicated  by  the  letters  marked  H,  P,  in  tlie 
plan,  figure  2. 

On  the  main  floor  are  bins  for  grain  and  ground  feed, 
provided  Avith  shutcs  connecting  them  with  tlic  feeding 
floor.     There  are  hay  scales,  also — a  fixture  in  one  of  the 


16  BARN   PLAKS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

lloors — whicli  afford  the  means  of  being  very  accurate  in 
many  things,  in  regard  to  which  guess  work  is  ordinarily 
the  rule.  The  great  ventilators,  so  conspicuous  in  figure  1, 
pass  from  the  feeding  floor  to  the  roof,  and  are  furnished 
with  doors  at  different  elevations,  quite  to  the  top  of  the 
mow,  thus  forming  convenient  shutes  to  throw  down  hay 
or  straw.  A  long  flight  of  stairs  passes  from  the  princi- 
pal bam  floor  to  the  cupola,  from  wl.ich  a  magnificent 
view  is  obtained  of  the  whole  farnr.  and  surrounding 
country. 

The  Feeding  Floor  is  entered  by  several  doors.  Two 
double  doors  open  ujDon  a  spacious  floor  in  the  rear  of  the 
horse  stalls,  which  extends  through  the  middle  of  the  main 
barn.  The  northwest  corner,  figure  3,  is  occupied  by  a 
large  harness  and  tool  room,  with  a  chimney  and  a  stove. 
On  the  right  of  the  front  entrance  is  the  carriage  room, 
which  is  closed  by  a  sliding  door,  or  partition.  There 
is  room  on  the  open  part  of  this  floor,  behind  the  horse 
stalls,  and  adjacent,  to  drive  in  three  wagons  at  a  time, 
and  let  the  horses  stand  hitched.  Between  the  ox  stalls 
in  the  south  wing,  is  a  ten-foot  passage  way  through 
which  carts  Avith  roots  or  green  feed  may  be  driven,  the 
stairs  in  the  middle  being  hinged  at  the  ceiling  and 
fastened  up.  The  stalls  are  seven  feet  wide,  and  arranged 
to  tie  n\)  two  cattle  in  each.  A  gutter  to  conduct  off  the 
urine  runs  along  behind  each  range  of  stalls,  and  there 
are  well  secured  traps,  one  in  about  every  fifteen  feet, 
through  which  the  manure  is  dropped  to  the  cellar.  The 
letter  0,  wherever  it  occurs  in  figure  3,  indicates  a  trap 
door  of  a  manure  drop.  The  letter  D  is  placed  wherever 
there  are  doors  which,  in  the  engraving,  might  be  taken 
for  windows. 

The  cattle  pass  to  the  yards  through  doors  in  the  ends 
of  the  wings.  Tlie  south  yard  is  nearly  upon  a  level  with 
the  floor,  sloping  gradually  away  toward  the  south  and 
east ;  but  the  lar<re  l)arn  vard  is  on  the  level  of  the  manure 


MR.    DAVID    LYMAN  S   BAKX. 


17 


Fig.  3.— PLAN  OF  FEEDING  FLOOR. 


18 


BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


cellar,  and  an  inclined  way  gives  access  to  the  yard  on 
the  cast  side,  from  the  cow  stalls.  Three  roomy,  loose 
boxes  arc  provided,  one  for  horses,  and  two  as  lying-in 
stables  for  cows.  Xear  the  points  marked  TT',  and  F, 
stands  the  hydrant  for  flowing  water,  and  the  trough  for 


n  D        q 


a        a         c 


1       a        t 


SLIDING  GATE 


WATER 
TROUGH 


Fig.  4 — ^FLAU  or  BASESrENT. 

mixing  feed,  and  here,  too,  the  shutes  for  grain  and  cut 
feed  discharge  from  the  floor  above. 

Ventilation  and  Light. — Four  immense  ventilating 
trunks,  four  feet  square,  rise  from  the  feeding  floor 
straight  to  the  roof.  These  arc  cajiped  by  good  ventila- 
tors of  the  largest  size,  and  cause  a  constant  change  of 
air  in  the  stables,  the  draft  being  ordinarily  sufficient  to 


A  LARGE  AND  COMPLETE  BAEN.  19 

be  felt  like  a  fresh  breeze,  by  holding  the  hand  anywhere 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  openings.  This  keeps  tlie  air  in 
the  whole  establishment  sweeter  and  purer  than  in  most 
dwellings.  The  windows  on  all  sides  of  this  floor  are  of 
large  size,  with  double  sashes,  hung  with  weights. 

The  Barx  Cellar. — This  is  arranged  for  hogs,  roots, 
and  manure.  The  fixed  jiartitions  in  the  cellar  are  only 
two,  one  enclosing  the  root  cellar,  and  the  other,  outside 
of  that,  shutting  off  a  wide,  cemented  passage  way,  ex- 
tending from  the  door  at  the  northeast  corner,  around 
two  sides  of  the  root  cellar,  as  shown  in  figure  4.  The 
rest  of  the  cellar  is  occupied  by  the  manure,  and  hogs 
are  enclosed  in  different  jiarts  of  the  cellar,  according 
to  convenience. 

Size  of  Barn. — The  building  covers  more  than  one- 
fifth  of  an  acre  of  land,  and  thus  there  is  over  three-fifths 
of  an  acre  under  a  roof.  The  main  barn  is  fifty-five  by 
eighty  feet.  The  wings  are  each  fifty-six  feet  long,  the 
south  one  being  thirty-five  wide,  and  the  east  wing  thirty- 
one  and  one-half  feet  wide.  The  four  leading  points 
sought  for  and  obtained  were  :  first,  economy  of  room 
under  a  given  roof,  second,  plenty  of  light,  third,  plenty 
of  air,  and  ventilation  which  would  draw  off  all  delete- 
rious gas  as  fast  as  generated,  and  fourth,  convenience  to 
save  labor.  Saving  of  manure,  and  many  other  things 
were  of  course  included.  The  windows  are  all  hung  with 
pulleys,  and  are  lowered  in  warm  days  in  winter,  and 
closed  in  cold  days.     This  is  important, 

MR.   LAWSON  valentine's   BARN. 

The  perspective  view  and  plans  here  given,  represent 
the  fine  barn  on  "Houghton  Farm,"  the  property  of  Mr. 
Lawson  Valentine,  Mountainville,  Orange  County,  N.  Y. 
It  is  located  on  a  hillside,  and  is  supplied  with  water 
brought  from  springs.     The  barn  is  handsomely  projaor- 


20 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


MR.    LAWSON   VALENTINE'S   BARN. 


21 


tioned,  and  with  its  slated  roof  and  red-jjainted  walls, 
with  black  trimmings,  presents  a  Une  appearance.  It  is 
admirably  adapted  for  keeping  a  large  number  of  horses, 
and  a  good  model  for  any  well-to-do  farmer  desiring  a 
handsome  and  useful  barn.  In  its  general  plan  it  may  be 
followed  on  a  smaller  scale  by  any  one  having  horses  and 
cattle  for  Avhich  to  provide  stabling  and  shelter. 

The  building  is  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  long,  by 
fifty-five  feet  wide,  with  twenty-foot  posts,  and  Is  for- 
ty feet  from  the  main  floor  to  the  ridge.  It  rests  on  a 
stone  basement  ton  foot  liip^h  in  the  clear  ;  this  basement 


Fig.  0. — PLAN    OF  BASEMENT. 

provides  comfortable  and  convenient  stabling  for  the 
owner's  fine  stud.  The  division  is  shown  at  figure  6  ; 
a,  a,  are  the  horse  stalls  ;  b,  the  harness  room,  four  by 
twenty-five  feet ;  c,  stairs ;  d,  box  stalls,  ten  and  one- 
half  by  fourteen  and  one-Iialf  feet ;  e,  e,  cow  stalls, 
with  permanent  partitions  and  adjustable  mangers ; 
g,  q,  gates  for  separating  the  cattle  department  from 
the  horses.  Figure  7,  shows  a  plan  of  the  main 
floor ;  a,  is  the  tool  room  ;  h,  contains  a  horse  power 
for  driving  a  feed  cutter,  thrasher,  etc.;  c,  is  used  as 
a  stowage  room  for  cut  feed,  etc. ;  d,  is  the  grain 
room,  provided  with  bins  and  convenient  shutes  ;  ?,  is  a 


23 


BARlSr    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


room  for  a  keeper ;  which  also  contains  closets  for  the 
nicer  harnesses.  The  letters  V,  V,  V,  V,  indicate  the  ven- 
tilators ;  8,  shows  the  lar^e  platform  scales.    The  floor  of 


IIO'O" 
Fi<?.  7. — PLAN  OF  MAIN  FLOOR. 


the  basement  is  made  of  brick,  laid  on  edge  in  mortar, 
underlaid  by  concrete.  Figure  8  represents  one  of  the 
horse  stalls.     The  upper  portion  consists  of  iion  rods  ex- 


I  iimiiiiiiiuii  II I  iillliiliiilMtii'iiiiiifMW|l  r 


Fig.  8.— VIEW  OP  noBSE  stall. 


tending  from  the  top  of  the  sides  to  a  railing  two  feet 
above.     Tbe  front  is  provided  with  screen  doors. 


AiSr   OHIO   BAKN.  23 

The  stall  is  nine  by  fonr  and  one-half  feet,  and  the 
manger  is  one  f(^ot  nine  inches  from  front  to  back.  An 
iron  feed  trongh  for  grain  occnpies  one  end  of  the  manger, 
indicated  by  the  dotted  line  at  G.  The  remainder  is  taken 
np  by  the  hay  box,  H,  the  bottom  of  which  is  shown  by 
the  dotted  line.  A  door  in  front  allows  for  cleaning  ont 
the  feed  box,  and  ojiens  to  a  closet.  The  box  stalls  are 
also  ijrovided  with  the  iron  rods  for  a  top  finish,  so  that 
a  person  can  easily  see  into  them  without  entering.  The 
interior  exposed  wood  work  is  varnished,  making  a  neat 
and  substantial  finish.  Opening  into  the  basement,  and 
extending  nearly  to  the  roof  are  four  ventilating  flues, 
each  four  feet  square.  Their  outer  edge  is  on  a  line  with 
the  drive  way,  and  the  inner  side  has  openings  fitted 
with  doors  opening  inwards,  at  various  bights,  which  make 
the  flues  serve  as  convenient  hay  shutes  to  the  floor  below. 

AN  OHIO  BAEisr. 

The  accompanying  engravings  are  of  a  barn  built  by 
Mr.  Kyle,  Greene  Co.,  Ohio.  The  basement  is  sixty  feet 
long,  twenty-four  feet  wide,  and  seven  feet  high  in  the 
clear ;  the  walls  contain  seventy  perches  of  stone  work. 
The  floor  above  is  supported  by  two  rows  of  pillars, 
figure  9.  Those  in  the  outside  row  are  two  by  six  feet,  the 
inside  ones  being  two  feet  square.  The  barnis  forty-eight 
feet  wide.  The  floor  of  the  cow  stable,  which  is  directly 
over  the  basement,  rests  upon  Joists  that  are  laid  upon 
cross  sills,  and  reach  from  the  ends  of  the  front  pillars , 
to  the  rear  ones.  The  joists  rest  upon  the  cross  sills 
as  far  as  the  latter  reach,  and  then  upon  the  pillars. 
The  cross  sills  are  ten  inches  square.  There  is  thus 
a  drop  of  ten  inches  in  the  floor  upon  which  the 
cows  stand  and  immediately  behind  them.  This  droji, 
h,  figure  10,  is  four  feet  Avide,  and  forms  a  j)assage  in 
which  the  manure  collects,  and  from  which  it  may  be 


24 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


pushed  through  the  side  of  tlie  drop  to  the  basement 
below.  The  liquids  from  the  coavs  drain  through  this 
open  space  upon  the  manure  in  the  basement.  The  floor 
upon  which  the  cows  stand,  seen  at  g,  is  six  feet  wide. 
A  passage  way,  seen  above  the  arches  in  figure  9,  leads 
from  the  stable  door  to  the  barn  yard.  There  are  four- 
teen stalls  for  cows,  g,  figure  10,  each  of  which  is  four  feet 
%vide.  The  partitions  between  the  stalls  are  formed  in 
the  manner  shown  in  figure  13.     In  each  stall  is  a  manger 


Fjo-.  !).— PERSPECTIVE   VIEW  OF  MK.    KYLE'S   HARK 


and  a  feed  l)ox.  The  cows  are  tied  by  means  of  a  ropes 
around  their  necks.  There  is  a  passage,  /,  figure  10,  be- 
tween the  cow  stable  and  the  horse  staV)lc,  c.  In  the  latter 
there  are  seven  single  horse  stalls,  and  two  closed  loose 
boxes.  Each  single  stall  is  five  feet  wide.  A\  hen  the 
horse  stable  is  cleaned,  a  wagon  is  driven  into  the  shed 
behind  it,  h;  the  manure  is  thrown  into  the  wagon,  and 
at  once  hauled  wherever  it  may  be  wanted.     Tlie  floor  of 


AN    OHIO    BARN. 


25 


the  horse  stable  is  on  the  ground.  The  partitions  between 
the  horse  stalls  are  made  as  shown  in  figure  12.  The  shed, 
b,  figure  10,  is  for  storing  tools  and  wagons,  or  housing 
sheep,  and  has  a  door,  a,  at  each  end.  One  door  opens 
into  a  yard,  through  which  the  road,  seen  in  the  engrav- 
ing, runs.  Here  the  straw  and  corn-stalks  are  stacked, 
and  a  great  portion  of  them  are  here  fed  to  the  stock  to 
make  manure.     No  water  from  the  barn  runs  into  this 


Fig.  10.— PL  AH  OP  STABLE  FLOOR. 

yard,  or  on  to  the  manure.  The  stables  are  eight  feet 
high,  and  the  barn  reaches  eighteen  feet  above  the  stables. 
The  plan  of  the  barn  floor  is  shown  at  figure  11 ;  at  a  is 
the  main  floor  ;  at  J,  h,  are  the  entrance  doors,  to  which  a 
sloping  drive  way,  abutting  against  the  wagon  shed,  leads. 
The  rear  doors  c,  c,  are  hung  upon  rollers,  and  in  figure  9 
are  seen  partly  open.  At  d  is  the  trap  for  hay,  leading  to 
the  feed  passage  below,  and  e,  e,  are  traps  for  straw  used  for 


26 


BARN    PLANS    AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


bedding,  leading  into  the  stables.  The  granaries  are  seen 
&tf,f,  and  there  are  spouts  from  these  leading  into  the 
wagon  shed,  so  that  sacks  upon  the  wagon  can  be  filled 


P^'A 


0 


E 


Fig.  IL— PLAN  OF   BABN   FLOOK. 


from  the  spouts.     The  passage  to  the  granaries  is  at  g  ; 
it  is  eight  feet  wide,  and  a  work  bench  with  tools  is  kept 


-^  1 

^ u.-  ; 

s^^^ 

-   -''--    " 

-■—=;- 

\ 

1-        —  ■ 

=  ■           "*-  _- 

.-■-     "-1 

"—• -.  ^ 

-"    .J 

--_    —    -- 

-z^  - 

=    ' 

^ 

, 

kf^^ 

//—^^ 

//     -           - 

Z/' 

_, 

'■ — \ 

// 

__ 

/'                                               i 

Fiff.  13.— cow  ST.\XL. 


Fig.  12.— HOB8E  STAT.I.. 

here.     The  staircase  loading  down  to  the  feed  passage  is 
seen  at  li.     The  trap  doors  are  double  and  on  hinges. 


A   MISSOURI   BARN. 


27 


The  floor  is  also  double,  so  that  no  dust  can  fall  through 
to  the  floor  below,  nor  any  disagreeable  vapors  arise 
therefrom.  This  story  is  eighteen  feet  clear,  there  be- 
ing a  truss  roof  which  is  self-supporting.  The  roof  is 
shingled  with  pine  shingles,  and  the  whole  of  the  barn  is 
covered  with  pine  weather  boarding,  and  painted.  The 
total  cost  of  this  barn  was  one  thousand  two  hundred 
dollars,  in  addition  to  the  owner's  work,  and  the  value 
of  the  frame  timber,  which  Avas  cut  upon  the  farm. 

A    MISSOURI    BARN. 


The  barn   shown  in   the  following  engraving,  figure 
14,  was  built  by  Mr.  Wm.  B.  Collier,  of  St.  Louis,  on  his 


14.— A  MISSOURI   BARN. 


Country  Estate  in  Audrain  Co.,  Mo,,  and  has  been  re- 
garded by  well-informed  people  as  one  of  the  best  barns 
in  the  State.  The  building  is  eighty-four  feet  square, 
and  nearly  fifty  feet  in  extreme  higlit,  not  including  the 


28 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


cellar  ;  it  fronts  the  south.  There  are  eighty-four  stalls, 
arranged  as  in  the  ground  plan  (figure  15),  there  being  two 
rows  of  horse  stalls  on  one  side,  and  three  rows  of  cattle 
stalls  on  the  other.  The  j^roportions  of  the  interior  are 
as  liberal  of  space  as  those  of  the  barn  itself.  The  cen- 
tral drive  way  or  barn  floor  is  sixteen  feet  wide.    The  car- 


Fig.  15.— FLAN  OP    BAKN. 

riage  and  wagon  rooms  on  each  side  tlie  floor  are  both 
twenty  feet  square.  Large  loose  boxes  arc  for  the  accom- 
modation of  stallions.  The  various  passage  ways  between 
the  rows  of  stalls,  and  at  the  rear  of  them,  are  four  feet 
wide,  while  the  horse  stalls  are  nearly  six  feet,  and  the 
stalls  for  two  cows  eight  feet  in  width.  The  two  spaces 
enclosed  between  dotted  lines  on  the  barn  floor  indicate 
the  position  of  the  hoist  ways  under  the  skylights  for  hay 


A    GOOD    FARM    BARX.  29 

and  grain.  The  spaces  at  either  end  outside  these  hoist- 
ing spaces  are  floored  over  above  the  great  doors,  and  are 
finished  ofE  as  granaries  for  keeping  the  supply  of  oats, 
meal,  etc.,  required  for  the  stock.  On  each  side  of  the 
barn  is  a  rain  water  cistern,  twelve  feet  nine  inches  in 
diameter,  and  twenty-five  feet  deep  ;  these  are  connected 
by  a  pipe,  passing  underground  across  the  front  of  the 
barn.  There  are  seven  windows  on  each  side,  and  six 
besides  the  five  sliding  doors,  in  each  gable.  These,  with 
the  three  great  ventilators,  afford  unusual  provision  for 
pure  air.  The  cattle  are  fed  from  the  floor  above.  The 
passage  between  the  rows  of  horse  stalls  is  for  feeding. 
The  building  stands  upon  fifty-four  stone  pillars,  and  has 
a  tight  board  floor,  any  part  of  which  may  be  easily  re- 
newed, as  occasion  may  require.  "With  a  large  corn  house, 
thirty-five  feet  square,  not  seen  in  the  engraving,  this 
barn  cost  nine  thousand  dollars. 

A    GOOD   FARM   BARN". 

The  following  plan  (figure  16)  is  of  a  simple  and  inex- 
pensive bam.  The  size  is  forty  by  fifty-five  feet ;  it  has 
a  large  shed  attached  for  cattle.  The  fifteen-foot  barn 
floor,  see  figure  17,  is  of  good  medium  width  ;  if  wider  the 
room  would  not  be  wasted.  On  the  left  are  tlie  horse  stalls, 
five  feet  wide.  There  might  be  five  stalls  four  feet  wide, 
but  for  a  large  horse  the  width  ought  to  be  about  five 
feet.  The  whole  space  given  to  horses  is  fifteen  by  twenty 
feet.  Beyond,  the  floor  Avidens  seven  feet,  and  the  rest  of 
the  left  side  is  devoted  to  cattle  stalls,  twenty-five  feet, 
giving  room  for  six  cow  and  ox  stalls,  and  two  passage 
ways,  one  of  which  may  be  closed  and  made  a  stall  for  a 
cow.  The  seven-foot  space  affords  abundant  room  for 
hay  cutter,  feed  box,  and  accompaniments,  located  close 
to  both  cattle  and  horses  ;  and  if  cattle  are  fed  in  tlic  shed 
on  feed  prepared  in  the  feed  box,  a  passage  at  the  rear  con- 


30 


BA.KX    PLANS   AXD   OUTBUJLDHSTGS. 


ducts  com'cniently  to  their  mangers.  A  three- foot  square 
trunk  ascends,  from  over  the  seven  by  tvs^enty-fiYe-foot 
space  in  front  of  the  cow  stalls,  to  the  roof,  securing 
abundant  ventilation,  and  affording  a  sliute,  through 
which  hay,  or  straw,  may  be  readily  dropped  from  the 
mow  ;  or  corn  cobs,  and  other  matters,  from  the  granary. 
The  right  side  of  the  barn  floor  is  occuj)ied  by  a  hay 
bay.  There  is  a  tight  ceiling  of  matched  boards  over  the 
stables,  at  a  hight  of  eight  feet.     The  posts  are  sixteen 


Fig.  16. — ELEVATION 


feet  to  the  caves.  The  roof  is  what  is  usually  called  half- 
pitch,  more  lasting  than  if  flatter.  A  substantial,  tight 
floor  is  laid  upon  the  straining  beams  of  the  roof.  This 
may  be  extended,  if  desired,  through  the  entire  length 
of  the  barn,  or  only  from  one  end  to  over  the  barn  floor. 
In  it  is  a  large  trapdoor  directly  over  the  thrasliing  floor. 
A  small  gable  with  a  door  in  it,  over  tlic  great  doors, 
affords  communication  with  the  front  of  the  barn,  so  that 
grain  in  bags  or  barrels  may  be  raised  or  lowered  as  well 
here  as  through  the  trap  door.  This  floor  is  tlie  granary 
or  corn  loft,  easily  made  rat  proof,  close  under  the  roof, 
and  consequently  very  hot  in  sunshiny,  autumn  weather. 
Corn  in  the  ear  is  easily  hoisted  by  horse  power  from  the 


A   GOOD   FARM   BARN. 


31 


wagons  and,  if  spread  on  the  floor  not  more  than  a  foot 
thick,  it  will  cure  much  sooner  and  more  perfectly  than  in 
cribs.  This  grain  floor  is  reached  by  a  stairway  from  the 
floor  over  the  stables  ;  under  the  stairs  is  a  shute,  or  shutes. 


cf5" 


for  conducting  the  shelled  corn,  etc. ,  to  the  feeding  floor. 
This  arrangement  requires  strong  posts  and  roof  framing, 
but  not  stronger  than  for  a  slate  roof  of  a  less  pitch, 
for  such  a  roof  will  support  double  the  weight  likely  to 
be  placed  on  the  floor.     Not  only  is  the  roof  constructed 


32  BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

to  bear  the  weight  of  the  slates,  but  of  two  feet  of  snow, 
and  the  force  of  high  winds  in  addition.  The  Aveight  of 
grain  will  only  give  increased  steadiness,  a  large  part 
being  borne  by  the  posts,  the  floor  preventing  all  racking. 
The  shed  is  thirty  by  forty  feet,  with  twelve-foot  front, 
and  eight-foot  rear  posts,  open  in  front,  and  having  win- 
dows in  the  back.  At  the  rear,  a  passage  way  foui*  feet 
wide  communicates  with  the  cow  stable  in  the  barn,  and 
forms  the  feeding  alley  to  the  loose  boxes  in  the  shed. 
Cattle  will  not  suffer  in  such  a  shed,  left  entirely  open, 
in  the  severest  winter  weather,  but  it  is  best  to  close  the 
front  by  boarding,  and  doors,  having  large  windows  for 
light  and  air.  The  pigpens  are  j)laced  contiguous  to  the 
barn  yard,  so  that  the  swine  may  be  allowed  the  free 
range  of  the  compost  heaps,  at  least  in  their  own  corner. 
In  the  hog  house  is  a  steam  boiler ;  and  a  pipe,  boxed 
and  packed  in  sawdust,  and  laid  underground,  crosses 
the  yard  to  the  feeding  floor,  for  steaming  and  cooking 
the  fodder  for  the  cattle.  By  this  arrangement  the  swine 
are  located  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  granary 
and  root  cellar.  But  this  is  not  a  serious  inconvenience, 
and  it  is  best  to  remove  any  source  of  danger  from  fire 
as  far  away  as  possible. 

The  root  cellar  is  seven  feet  deep  under  the  hay  bay,  on 
the  right  side  of  the  barn.  Thei'e  are  two  shutes  from 
the  floor  to  the  cellar,  and  there  is  a  stairway  as  indicated. 
Besides,  access  is  had  by  a  cellar  way,  on  the  eastern  side. 

Thisi)lan  may  very  readily  be  reduced,  to  say  thirty  by 
forty-two  feet,  making  the  floor,  twelve  feet,  the  bay, 
fifteen  feet,  four  horse  stalls,  eighteen  feet,  and  four  cow 
stalls,  twelve  feet,  in  a  line  across  the  left  side — the  floor 
being  fifteen  feet  wide  in  front  of  the  cow  stable,  and 
other  contractions  made  in  the  same  proportions. 


ANOTHER  BARN"  FOR  MIXED  FARMING. 


33 


ANOTHER   BARN   FOR   MIXED    FARMING. 

Very  many  farmers  desire  a  barn  for  mixed  husbandry, 
for  storing  hay  and  grain,  for  keeping  stock,  and  all  the 
labor-saving  implements,  with  a  good  root  cellar  in  a 
convenient  place,  and  a  yard  for  manure.  The  follow- 
ing plan,  figure  18,  shows  such  a  barn.     Its  cost]  ranges 


Fig.  18. — ^ELEVATION   OF  BARN   AND   STABLE. 

from  one  thousand  five  hundred  to  two  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars,  according  to  the  price  of  materials  and 
the  amount  of  finish  put  upon  the  work.  In  most  places, 
where  stone  for  the  lower  story  and  lumber  can  be  cheaply 
procured,  one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  will  be  suffi- 
cient to  build  a  barn  fifty  feet  square,  including  everything 
needed.  This  is  not  a  basement  barn,  being  made  on  level 
ground.     Partly  underground  stables  are  not  generally  de- 


34 


BARN    PLAXS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


sirable,  on  account  of  dampness,  too  mnch  warmth  in  win- 
ter, and  lack  of  ventilation.  But  a  slight  rise  of  ground, 
which  may  be  availed  of,  for  an  easy  ascent  to  the  barn 
floor,  is  a  convenience,  although  not  at  all  necessary.  This 
may  be  readily  made  by  using  the  earth  from  the  root 
cellar  [which  should  be  two  or  three  feet  below  the  sur- 
face] to  fill  in  the  ascending  road  way.  The  stable  floor 
is  thus  on  a  level  witli  the  ground,  and  windows  on  each 


M 


i   D 


H 


Fig.  19. — PL^VN   OF  MAIN   FLOOR   OF  BAKN. 

side  furnish  ample  light  and  ventilation.  The  founda- 
tion walls  are  of  stone,  sunk  three  feet  below  the  surface. 
Drains  from  the  bottom  of  the  foundation  Avould  be  found 
of  great  use  in  keeping  the  stables  perfectly  dry  at  all 
seasons.  Below  the  ground,  the  Avails  may  be  built  of  dry 
work,  but  above  the  surface  the  best  of  mortar  should  be 
used  in  the  building.     Much  of  the  solidity  and  dura- 


ANOTHER   BARN    FOR   MIXED    FARMING. 


35 


bility  of  a  building  depends  upon  the  excellence  of  the 
mortar.  The  stable  walls  are  so  built  that  the  barn  over- 
hangs the  entrance  ways  six  feet,  which  gives  protection 
against  rain  or  snow,  as  well  as  prevents  drifting  of  either 
into  the  open  upper-half  of  the  doors  or  windows,  thus 
permitting  ventilation  in  stormy  weather,  and  allowing 
comfortable  access  from  one  door  to  another.  The  plan 
shown  in  figure  19  gives  the  arrangement  of  stalls  and 
passages.  The  horse  stable.  A,  B,  has  two  double  stalls 
and  a  loose  box  for  a  mare  and  colt.     C,  C,  is  the  cow 


■~^" 

"£^'   " 

LJ                  L-J 

-1 

S 

p 

p 

JR 

N 

N 

N 

— 

Q; 

p 

:r 

p 

^ 

Fig.  20. — SECOND  STORY  OF  BAKN. 

stable,  with  stalls  for  twenty-two  cows,  arranged  so  that 
the  animals'  heads  in  the  rows  are  towards  each  other, 
with  a  central  feed  passage  between.  The  ventilators 
and  straw  shutes,  D,  D,  carry  off,  through  the  cupolas  on 
the  top  of  the  building,  all  the  effluvia  from  the  stables  ; 
the  straw  for  bedding  is  thrown  down  through  them  from 
the  mows  or  barn  floor  above.     The  compartments,  E,  F, 


36  BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 

are  for  calves  or  a  few  ewes  with  early  lambs,  which  may 
require  extra  care  and  protection.  The  root  cellar,  G,  is 
entered  from  the  feeding  room,  which  also  communicates 
directly  with  each  compartment.  The  cistern,  H,  is  sunk 
twelve  feet  beneath  the  floor  of  the  root  cellar,  and  re- 
ceives the  whole  of  the  water  shed  from  all  the  roofs.  It 
is  prevented  from  overflowing  by  an  outlet  into  the  drain, 
which  runs  beneath  the  stable  floor.  The  pump,  /,  is  in 
the  feed  passage,  /is  the  shute  by  which  cut  hay  or  fodder 
is  thrown  down  from  the  barn  floor.  L  is  the  feed-mixing 
box,  or  steam  chest,  if  steaming  is  practised,  and  M,  the 
stairs  to  the  barn  floor  above.  On  this  floor,  figure  20, 
are  four  bays  for  hay,  straw,  etc.,  a  large  thrashing  floor, 
with  a  cross  hall  for  a  cutting  machine,  and  a  shute  0,  to 
pass  the  cut  feed  below,  A  door  in  this  cross  hall  opens 
into  the  barn  yard,  by  which  straw  may  be  thrown  out 
for  litter,  A  door  at  the  rear  of  the  thrashing  floor  opens 
into  the  upper  part  of  the  open  shed,  where  hay,  straw, 
or  fodder  may  be  stored.  The  cutting  machine  is  shown 
at  K,  with  grain  bins  or  boxes  for  feed  at  N,  N,  N.  The 
bays  are  marked  P,P  ;  Q  is  the  thrashing  floor,  R,  R, 
are  hay  shutes  and  ventilators,  which  are  carried  up  level 
Avith  the  plates,  doors  being  made  in  them,  through 
which  to  pass  the  hay  either  from  the  barn  floor  or  the 
mows  ;  S  is  tlic  straw  shed,  with  open  traps  to  pass  straw 
or  fodder  into  the  racks,  shown  beneath,  in  figure  19. 

The  open  shed  seen  in  the  rear  of  the  barn  yard  is  for 
the  purpose  of  airing  stock  in  stormy  weather,  and  is  fur- 
nished Avith  a  straw  rack  for  feeding  them.  This  barn  is 
calculated  for  a  farm  of  from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred 
acres  of  good  land. 


MR.    CHARLES   S.    SARGENT's   BARN". 


37 


MR.    CHARLES   S.    SARGENT  S   BARN,  BROOKLINE,  MASS. 

The  barn  of  Mr.  Charles  S.  Sargent  has  become  well 
known.  Figure  21  shows  the  east  side  of  the  barn,  the 
down-hill  side,  with  the  cart  entrances  to  the  manure 
cellar  and  wagon  shed.  Figure  23  shows  the  arrangement 
of  the  cellar,  which,  aside  from  the  usual  appliances  of  a 
farm  barn,  has  a  steam  boiler  for  cooking  hay,  etc. 
Figure  23  is  the  main  floor,  containing  six  box  stalls,  and 
stabling  for  ten  cows.     The  cow  room,  which  is  ceiled  on 


Fig.  21. — ELEVATION  OP  MR.  CHABLE3  9.  SABGENT'S  BAKN. 

the  walls  and  overhead  with  varnished  pine,  and  has  its 
windows  protected  by  green  blinds,  is,  without  being  ex- 
travagant or  "fancy,"  very  neatly  and  perfectly  adapted 
to  its  uses.  The  mangers  are  of  "Cottam's  Patent," 
much  used  in  England,  consisting  of  two  iron  feed  tubs, 
with  an  iron  water  trough  between  them  for  each  pair  of 
cows.  A  low  partition  separates  each  double  stall  from 
its  neighbor.  The  box  stalls  are  fitted  with  rocking 
mangers,  which  move  back  and  forth  through  the  parti- 
tion, so  that  feed  can  be  supplied  from  the  passage  way. 
This  barn  is  a  capital  model  for  any  amateur,  small,  or 
"  fancy  "  farmer  to  follow,  as  it  has  all  the  conveniences 


38 


BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


Fig.  22.— BASEMENT   OF  MB.    SAKGENT'S   BAKN. 


Fig.  23.— PLAN  or  main  fiook  of  mr.  sargent's  bakn. 


A    PLA^T   FOR   A    S3IALL   BARN". 


39 


needed,  and  none  of  the  ornament  that  one  too  often  sees 
on  barns  of  its  class.     It  is  good,  cheap  and  useful. 

A    PLAN"   FOR    A   SMALL   BAR]S", 

There  are  many  small  farmers,  villagers,  gardeners,  etc., 
who  wish  only  barn  room  enough  for  a  single  horse  and 
carriage,  and  a  cow.  To  such,  the  requirements  are  cheap- 
ness and  durability,  combined  with  convenience ;  and 
with  these  points  in  view  a  plan,  figure  24,  is  given  of  a 


Fig.  34.— A  SMALL  CHEAP  BABN. 


small  barn,  designed  by  Prof.  G.  T.  Fairchild,  late  of  the 
Michigan  Agricultural  College.  The  engraving  gives  a 
view  of  the  barn  from  the  front ;  while  plain  in  its  con- 
struction, it  is  pleasing  in  outline.  The  first  floor,  figure 
25,  is  twenty  by  twenty-eight  feet,  and  eight  feet  between 
joints.  A  large  sliding-door,  a,  nine  feet  wide,  admits 
the  carriage  with  the  horse  attached,  which,  when  un- 
hitched, is  led  through  the  sliding  door,  h,  into  the  stable. 
The  small  stable  door,  c,  opens  by  hinges  inwards,  while 
the  back  door,  d,  opening  to  the  manure  yard,  moves  upon 
rollers.  Two  small  windows,  e,  e,  give  sufficient  ligbt  to 
the  stable.  The  hay  racks  and  feed  boxes  for  the  stalls  are 
shown  at/,/,/,  each  having  a  hay  shute  leading  from  the 


40 


BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


floor  above.  The  grain  bins  are  neatly  arranged  under 
the  stairway,  these  being  three  in  number,  ranging  in 
capacity  from  fifty  to  ten  bushels.  The  second  story,  or 
hay  loft,  figure  26,  is  six  feet  from  floor  to  plates,  and  gives 


CARRIAGE 

ROOM. 
14-X20 


STABLE 


J^ 


Fig.  35.— GKOUND  PLAN  OF  BARN. 

ample  room  for  the  storage  of  hay  and  straw.  The  stairs 
are  in  one  corner,  a,  and  out  of  the  way;  b,  the  door 
for  the  admittance  of  hay  and  stra"\v  ;  c,  c,  c,  ends  of  the 
hay  shutcs  ;  d,  ventilator  ;  e,  e,  windows.  The  ventilator 
serves  the  purpose  of   a  shute  for  throwing  down  the 


Fig.  20. — THE   I.OFT. 

straw  used  for  bedding.  It  has  a  number  of  openings 
for  this  purpose  at  various  hights,  including  one  at  the 
bottom  for  cleaning  out  the  dust,  chaff,  etc.,  which  are 
constantly  accumulating  in  the  loft. 


ANOTHER   SMALL   BAllX. 


41 


The  cost  of  this  barn  will  vary  according  to  the  locality 
and  the  price  or  lumber,  etc.  The  estimate  for  it  in 
Michigan  was  three  hundred  dollars,  above  the  founda- 
tion, with  two  coats  of  paint ;  but  in  most  States  the 
lumber  would  cost  more  than  in  Michigan,  and  the  esti- 
mate would  be  corresponcingl}-  increased. 


ANOTHER   SMALL   BARX. 


The  barn,  the  outside  appearance  of  which  is  shown  in 
figure  27,  in  its  arrangements,  obviates  the  necessity  of 


Fig.  27.— A  SMALL  BARN. 


going  behind  the  horses  when  feeding,  which  is  often  desi- 
rable, as  in  families  having  no  hired  help,  the  feeding  is 
sometimes  intrusted  to  children.  The  ground  floor,  fig- 
ure 28,  is  eighteen  by  twenty-four  feet,  eight  feet  between 
joints.  The  carriage  room,  C,  is  thirteen  by  eighteen  feet, 
with  sliding  doors  ten  feet  wide.  The  horse  is  led  through 
the  door  D,  from  the  carriage  room  to  the  stable.  The  box 
E,  containing  food,  connects  by  two  spouts  with  grain 
bins  in  the  loft.  The  hay  shute  is  shown  at  B,  and  is  be- 
tween the  mangers.  The  harness  closet,  H,  is  placed 
under  the  stairway,      A  window,  W,  gives  light  to  the 


42 


BARX    PLANS    AXD    OUTBUILDINGS. 


feed  room  and  the  stalls.  The  loft,  figure  29,  is  six  and 
one-half  feet  high  to  the  plates,  and  with  a  three-quarter 
pitch  to  the  roof,  there  is  ami)le  room  for  hay  and  straw. 
The  barn  is  l)uilt  of  hemlock,  sided  with  seven-eighth-inch 


11' 

?:18' 

D 

13'><18' 

c 

r 

n 

w 

r.OFT 

S 

c 

■i 

s 

E 

i 

1    1 

=4Ji- 

t 

1  '  1 

Fig.  28.— FLOOR  PLAN  OF  BARX.       Fig.  29.— PLAN  OF  THE  LOFT. 

dressed  boards,  twelve  inches  wide,  and  battened.  It 
cost,  complete  and  painted,  in  the  neighborhood  of  two 
hundred  dollars. 


THE    ''ECHO    FARM''    BAIIN. 
{See  Frontispiece.) 

This  is  a  viev>^  of  the  barn  of  F.  Ratchford  Starr,  of 
"Echo  Farm,"  Litchfield,  Conn.  The  building  is  laid 
out  in  the  form  of  a  quadrangle,  enclosing  a  yard  which 
is  sheltered  upon  three  sides,  the  fourth  being  enclosed  by 
a  fence  with  a  gate.  The  internal  arrangement  of  that 
portion  of  the  barn  occupied  by  the  stock,  is  the  feature 
Avhich  is  worthy  of  special  notice.  Tliis  is  shown  in  the 
left-hand  side,  in  the  rear  of  the  main  building,  and  runs 
at  right  angles  with  it.  Attached  to  this  part  are  yards 
in  which  the  cattle  may  have  exercise  when  not  at  pas- 
ture. The  ground  plan  of  this  wing  of  the  building  is 
one  hundred  and  ninety-one  feet  long,  and  has  an  en- 
trance hall  at  one  end,  and  also  a  spacious  carriage  room, 
seventeen  by  Ihirty-five  feet.  "With  the  wagon  shed, 
reservoir,  horse  stable,  root  cellar,  etc.,  etc.,  this  barn  is 
a  complete,  commodious,  and  convenient  one. 


A   CATTLE    BARN. 


43 


CHAPTER  11. 

CATTLE  BARNS  AND  STABLES. 

A   CATTLE    BAEN. 

The  illustrations,  figures  30,  31,  32,  33,  are  of  a  cattle 
barn  on  Dr.  C.  F.  Heyward's  farm  at  Newport,  R.  I.  It 
has  stalls  for  twenty  cows,  four  oxen,  and  two  horses,  and 
will  stow  about  ten  tons  of  hay  in  the  bays,  and,  in  an 


Fig.  30. — ^PERSPECTIVE   VIEW  OF  BAKN  FBOM  THE  REAR. 

emergency,  five  more  on  the  thrashing  floor.  It  is  in- 
tended to  keep  the  main  store  of  hay  in  a  hay  barn  already 
standing  and  in  Dutch  hay  covers.  On  this  place,  there 
being  a  large  amount  of  pasture  land,  it  is  not  intended 
to  .soil  the  stock,  and  the  object  has  been  only  to  fur- 
nish comfortable  quarters  for  the  cattle,  where  they  may 
be  conveniently  fed  and  milked  with  the  least  expense 


44 


BARX    PLANS   AND   OUTBL'ILDIXGS. 


possible.  Everything  is  built  in  the  plainest  manner, 
and  as  cheaply  as  permanent  usefulness  would  allow. 
The  cost  of  the  building,  including  cellar,  foundation 
walls,  etc.,  w^as  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  Figure  30 
gives  a  jjerspective  view  of  the  barn,  and  figure  31  a 
cross  section. 

The  barn  stands  sideways  against  a  gentle  slope,  the 
fall  being  about  five  feet  in  thirty-six  feet — the  width 
of  the  barn.  A  small  amount  of  artificial  grading  brings 
the  cattle  floor  on  one  side,  and  the  manure  cellar  on 
the  other,  to  the  ground  level.     Under  the  cattle  and 


Fig,  31.— SECTION   OF   BAKN. 


horse  stalls  there  is  a  large  cellar  for  manure,  with 
two  wide  entrances  for  carts.  Beneath  the  threshing 
floor  there  is  a  root  cellar,  and  under  the  principal  hay 
bay,  a  storage  room  for  plows,  harrows,  etc.  The  general 
arrangement  of  the  cattle  floor  and  hay  room  is  shown  in 
figure  32.  The  ox  and  horse  stables  open  into  a  small  yard, 
separated  from  the  cow  yard.  The  animals  have  access 
to  the  latter  through  tlie  doors  at  the  end  of  tlic  building. 
The  feeding  passage  is  not  wide  enough  for  a  cart,  but 
allows  a  team  to  pass,  when  unhitched  from  a  loaded  cart 
or  wagon,  standing  upon  the  threshing  floor. 


A   CATTLE    BARN. 


45 


The  features  of  this  stable  are  the  arched  floor  and  the 
arrangements  for  tying  and  feeding.     The  main  timbers 


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supporting  the  floor  are  twenty-eight  feet  long,  running 
across  the  building.  There  are  two  of  them,  one  about 
one-third  the  distance  from  either  end  of  the  cow  room. 


46 


BARN    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


These  are  supported  each  by  two  ten-inch  chestnut  tim- 
bers, resting  on  foundation  stones,  and  standing  under 
the  lines  of  the  upright  posts  to  which  the  cattle  are  tied. 
Before  these  were  put  in,  and  after  the  outside  of  the 
building  was  finished,  the  cross  timbers  were  screwed  up 
in  the  middle  as  much  as  they  would  bear,  having  a 
crown  of  about  six  inches,  giving  an  arch-like  form 
to  the  floor — the  middle  of  the  feed- 
ing passage  being  six  inches  higher 
than  the  outside  of  the  passage  be- 
hind the  cattle.  The  floor  joists 
were  then  notched  in  to  these  tim- 
bers and  to  the  end  sills,  to  a  uni- 
form depth,  as  far  back  as  the  rear 
of  the  floor  on  which  the  cattle 
stand.  At  this  point  a  drop  of 
four  inches  is  given  by  spiking  a 


Fig.  33.— SECTION  OF  STALL  WITH   FEEDraO   APPABATUS. 


scantling  against  the  floor  joist.  From  this  point  the 
passage  floor  rises  to  the  side  of  the  building.  This  gives 
^  good  drainage,  simplicity,  and  sufficient  strength.  The 
construction  of  this  floor  and  of  the  feeding  apparatus 
is  shown  in  figure  31,  the  details  being  more  clearly  set 
forth  in  figure  33.  There  are  no  partitions  between  the 
cattle,  save  the  bars  which  separate  the  oxen  from  the 
cows.  The  feed  rack  consists  of  strips  of  Georgia  pine, 
three  inches  wide  and  one  inch  thick.  In  front  of  it 
there  is  a  shutter  three  feet  wide,  hinged  at  the  bottom. 


A    WESTERN    CATTL      BARN". 


-tr 


which  may  be  turned  flat  against  the  slats  when  hay  is 
not  being  fed,  or  may  be  dropped  back  the  length  of  the 
chain  Avhich  supports  it  when  necessary. 


A  AVESTERN   CATTLE  BAKN. 


The  barn  and 
sheds  shown  in  the 
engraving,  figure 
34,  are  well  adapt- 
ed for  the  keep- 
ing of  a  large 
number  of  cattle 
in  an  economical 
manner.  The  barn 
is  wholly  appropri- 
ated to  hay  and 
grain  ;  the  yard  is 
spacious,  and  sur- 
rounded on  three 
sides  with  sheds, 
either  closed  or 
open,  in  which  the 
stock  is  kept.  The 
barn  is  raised  three 
feet  from  the 
ground  and  rests 
on  posts  of  brick- 
work. The  space 
thus  gained  is  used 
as  a  shelter  for 
those  hogs  which 
have  the  run  of  the 
yard.  The  yards 
are  well  littered 
with  straw  and  the 
remains     of      the 


48 


BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


corn  fodder  fed  to  the  stock,  by  whicli  means  a  large 
quantity  of  manure  is  accumulated.  The  plan  liere  given 
is  equally  Avell  adapted  to  a  large  or  small  farm,  as  it  may 
be  extended  at  will  to  accommodate  any  required  number 
of  cattle. 


A  SECOND  WESTERN  CATTLE  BARN. 

Figure  35  presents  a  plan  of  a  stock  barn,  costing  from 
one  thousand  five  hundred  to  two  thousand  dollars. 
To  feed  cattle  profitably,  they  need  to  be  comforta- 
bly placed,  kept  quiet,  with  every  facility  for  getting 


n 


J    □ 


Fig.  35. — PLAN  OF  A  WESTERN  CATTLE  BARN. 

in  and  out  of  their  stalls,  and  to  have  no  annoy- 
ance or  excitement.  In  this  plan  there  is  a  vast  sav- 
ing of  work  of  a  disagreeable  character  tlirough  the  win- 
ter, and  when  tlie  manure  is  moved  in  the  spring,  it  is  in 
far  better  condition  tlian  if  it  had  been  exposed  to  the 
snow  and  frost  for  several  months.  A  cattle  barn  should 
always  be  laid  out  witii  this  object  in  view. 

Figure  35  shows  the  ground  ])lun  tif  the  bam.     It  is 


A  SECOND   WESTERN-   CATTLE   BARN". 


49 


made  in  two  wings,  facing  the  northeast  and  north- 
west. At  the  north  corner  is  a  square  room,  which  may 
be  used  as  a  store  room,  feed  room,  or  for  any  other 
purpose.  From  this  room,  passages  run  right  and  left, 
from  -which  the  cattle  are  fed  ;  these  ought  to  be  about 
six  feet  wide.  There  should  be  as  many  windows  in 
these  passages  as  will  give  needful  light  and  ventilation 
through  the  stable.  The  stalls  with  racks  or  feed  troughs 
opening  into  the  passages,  are  in  the  rear,  and  the  doors 
from  the  stalls  open  into  the  yard.     These  doors  should 


Fig.  36.— ELEVATION  OP  BASS. 

hang  upon  rollers,  and  when  pushed  back,  at  least  one- 
half  of  the  front  of  the  sheds  should  be  open.  Figure  3G 
shows  the  elevation  of  the  sheds,  and  the  arrangement 
of  the  yard.  The  yard  will  face  the  south  and  east,  and 
should  have  a  manure  vault  in  the  center,  into  which 
drains,  shown  by  dotted  lines,  fig.  35,  carry  off  the  liquids 
from  the  stable.  The  yard  may  be  fenced  in,  and  feeding 
racks  may  be  placed  around  it,  in  which  in  fine  weather 
fodder  can  be  given  to  the  stock.  The  upper  story  is  for 
storing  ha)',  and  at  the  center  of  the  building,  a  wind- 
mill should  be  erected,  to  pump  water  for  the  stock  from 
a  cistern  or  well  beneath,  or  it  could  furnish  power  to 
cut  feed  if  necessarv.  These  extra  conveniences  will 
3 


50 


BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


more  than  pay  for  themselves  in  the  course  of  one  season, 
in  the  saving  of  labor  and  in  the  increased  growth  of  the 
stock.  A  trough  of  water  might  run  through  every  stall, 
so  that  the  cattle  can  be  watered  when  required,  Avith- 
out  being  removed  or  unfastened. 

COVERED   STALLS   FOR   CATTLE. 


The  use  of  covered  stalls  for  feeding  cattle  and  pre- 
serving manure  is  becoming  very  general  among  the 


tmmt^    ■ 

o 

1 
1 

^1                                                                             1 

e — ^lOf  t^  > 

^/      ■ 

^       \ 

Fig.  37. — PLAN  OF  STAXI,S. 

better  class  of  English  farmers.  Occasionally  they  are 
adopted  by  farmers  in  this  country  with  the  best  re- 
sults. Figure  37  shows  the  ground  plan  of  a  shed  con- 
taining fourteen  stalls,  each  ten  feet  square,  with  a  pas- 


i:i.i:V.i.XU).N    ui     COVERED   CATTLE   STALI.^. 


sage  Avay  in  the  center  four  feet  wide.  Figure  38  shows 
the  elevation  of  the  building  with  the  arrangement  of  the 
doors.     It  is  of  two  stories,  the  upper  one  being  used  for 


COVERED    STALLS   FOR   CATTLE. 


51 


the  storage  of  straw,  hay,  or  roots,  or  the  preparation  of 
feed.  Figure  39  shows  the  interior  of  the  building,  with 
some  of  the  stalls  upon  one  side.     With  these  yicws,  the 


following  short  description  will  be  more  readily  under- 
stood. The  structure  here  given  is  seventy  feet  long  by 
twenty-four  feet  wide,  having  seven  stalls  upon  each  side. 


52  BARN^    PLAXS   AND    OUTBUILDIXGS. 

It  is  built  of  plain  boards  and  scantling,  and  one  of  the 
cheapest  character  will  answer  every  purpose  as  well  as 
the  most  costly  building,  the  shelter  and  preservation  of 
the  manure  being  the  chief  objects  in  view.  There  is  a 
door  at  the  rear  of  each  stall  di^dded  into  upper  and  lower 
halves,  so  that  the  upper  one  may  be  opened  for  air  and 
ventilation.  There  is  a  large  door  at  both  ends  of  each 
row  of  stalls,  and  the  divisions  between  the  stalls  are 
made  of  movable  bars.  These  bars  being  taken  away,  a 
wagon  may  be  driven  through  the  building  from  end  to 
end  for  the  removal  of  the  manure.  The  floors  of  the 
stalls  are  sunk  three  feet  below  the  surface.  Here  the 
cattle  are  fed  and  well  bedded  with  straw.  If  the  straw 
is  cut  into  lengths  of  at  least  three  inches,  the  manure  is 
so  much  the  better  for  it.  The  litter  and  the  manure  re- 
main in  the  stall  during  the  whole  winter,  and  as  they 
gradually  accumulate  and  the  floor  rises,  the  bars  are 
raised.  Each  bar  fits  into  sockets  in  the  posts  of  the 
building,  and  is  held  into  its  place  by  pins.  The  feed 
trough  is  made  to  slide  up  and  down,  upon  iron  bars,  as 
may  be  needed.  There  is  also  a  rack  slung  from  the  roof 
or  ceiling  above,  between  each  pair  of  stalls  for  long  straw 
or  hay,  Avhich  is  given  once  a  day  to  the  stock. 

CHEAP  CATTLE  SHEDS  AND  BARNS. 

Much  money  is  wasted  in  building  sheds  and  barns  of 
needlessly  heavy  timber.  No  timber  should  be  larger  or 
stronger  than  is  sufficient  to  hold  up  the  roof,  and  four 
by  four  studding,  or  posts,  will  do  tliis.  "Where  strong 
winds  prevail,  much  maybe  saved  by  having  the  buildings 
low.  Indeed,  there  is  a  saving  anywhere,  by  having 
everything  as  near  the  ground  as  possible.  The  common 
idea  that  high  buildings  arc  the  cheapest  because  roof 
space  is  thus  saved,  is  erroneous,  and  it  should  not  be 
forgotten  that  a  three  story  barn  must  necessarily  have  a 


CHEAP   CATTLE   SHEDS   AXD   BARXS.  53 

very  strong  and  heavy  frame  to  supjiort  its  own  weight, 
as  well  as  the  side  thrust  and  weight  of  its  contents.  A 
studding,  two  by  four  inches,  will  be  strong  enough  for  a 
hay  shed  eight  feet  high  at  the  eaves,  while  one  sixteen 
feet  high  will  spread,  and  sometimes  burst  with  six  by  six 
timbers.  Thus  it  may  very  often  be  found  better  to  take 
up  more  ground,  and  make  twice  or  three  times  as  mucli 
roof  surface,  than  it  would  be  to  save  in  floor  and  roof 
space,  by  building  higher.     The  plans  here  given  are  of 


Fig.  40.— PLAN   OF   CATTLE   SHED. 

cattle  sheds,  recently  built  at  a  cost  of  only  fifteen  dollar.'? 
per  head  of  the  cows  sheltered,  and  for  comfort  and 
convenience,  they  are  all  that  can  be  desired.  To  accom- 
modate ten  cows  in  a  shed  costing  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  is  often  more  desirable  than  to  build  a  barn  costing 
one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  that  will  supj^ly  no 
more  room.  "WTiere  economy  must  be  very  closely  consid- 
ered, this  matter  is  well  worth  studying,  and  the  sketches 
presented  will  f urni.^h  a  very  good  text  for  it.  Figure  40 
shows  a  plan  of  a  shed  having  forty-one  box  stalls,  each  six 


54 


BARX   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


41. — SECTION  OF   IN- 
TERIOR. 


by  eight  feet,  and  separated  by  boarded  partitions  four  and 
one-half  feet  liigh.  The  shed  is  nine  feet  high  in  the  front, 
seven  feet  in  the  rear,  twelve  feet  wide,  and  ninety  or 
one  hundred  feet  long.  The  roof  is  of  boards.  The  frame 
IS  made  of  posts  set  in  the  ground,  with  a  two  by  four- 
inch  plate  and  girts  of  the  same  size  where  needed.  There 
is  a  feed  passage  which  traverses  the  whole  length,  lead- 
ing from  a  room  in  one  end.  A, 
figure  40,  for  preparing  the  feed. 
There  is  a  feed  trough  in  each 
stall.  A  bar  or  pole  is  fastened 
along  the  whole  range  of  stalls, 
eighteen  inches  from  the  top  of 
the  front  partition,  by  which  the 
cattle  are  prevented  from  ap- 
proaching the  front  too  closely, 
and  mounting  the  feed  troughs,  or  putting  their  feet  into 
them.  The  cows  are  kept  loose  in  the  stalls,  unless 
otherwise  desired,  in  which  case  they  can  be  fastened  to 
rings  screwed  to  the  sides  of  the  stalls.  A  cistern,  which 
collects  the  water  from  the  roof,  is  made  at  B.  The  front 
of  each  stall  has  a  doul)le  door,  so  made  that  the  upper 
part  may  be  left  open  for  ventilation.  Ventilating  aper- 
tures may  be  made  above  each  door,  for  use  in  cold 
weather.  The  sheds  are  arranged  in  a  square,  witli  a  gate  at 
one  side  for  the  entrance  of  wagons  into  the  interior  yard. 
The  yard  Avill  give  room  for  exercise,  and  racks  may  be 
provided  in  it,  for  feeding  green  fodder,  hay,  or  straw. 
The  plan  is  admirably  adapted  for  the  soiling  system  of 
feeding,  and  tlie  making  of  a  largo  quantity  of  manure, 
while  forty  or  fifty  cows  are  provided  with  comfortable 
room,  at  a  cost  of  six  hundred  or  seven  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  only.  In  many  cases,  the  value  of  the 
manure  saved  by  soiling  cattle  in  such  a  shed,  Avill 
repay  its  whole  cost  in  one  year.  A  section  of  the  in- 
terior is  seen  in  figure  41. 


CHEAP   CATTLE   SHEDS   AND   BARNS. 


55 


CHEAP   BARX    AND    CONNECTING    STABLES. 

Figure  43  shows  a  section  of  a  cheap  barn  and  stables 
connected.  The  building  may  even  be  brought  lower  at 
the  eaves,  and  provide  pens  for  pigs  and  calves,  or  sheep. 


Fig.  43.— SECTION  OF  BARN  AND  STABLE. 

or  open  sheds  for  tools,  etc.  In  this  way,  it  is  protected 
from  sweeping  winds,  which  can  have  but  little  effect 
upon  it.     The  central  space  is  used  for  storing  hay  or 

grain,  or  for  thrashing,  and 
the  side  spaces  for  stabling 
cattle.  Three  and  one-half 
feet  in  length  of  floor  space, 
will  accommodate  two  head, 
so  that  a  seventy-foot  barn 
will  hold  forty  head,  and 
provide  abundant  room  for 
the  crop  of  one  hundred 
acres,  at  a  cost  of  about  ten 
dollars  per  running  foot. 
Light  timber  only  is  needed, 
and  rougii  posts  set  in  the 
ground,  will  make  the  basis 
of  the  frame.  The  plan 
of  the  building  is  shown 
in  figure  43.  It  is  arranged 
to  be  seventy  feet  long,  and  fifty  feet  wide,  Avith  the  cen- 
tral space  twenty-six  feet,  and  the  wings  each  twelve  feet ; 
wide  doors  are  made  at  each  end,  and  also  through  the  cen- 
ter, and  the  stanchions  or  stalls  in  the  center  are  movable. 


- 

- 

Fig.  43.— FLAN  OF  A  CATTLE  BARN. 


56 


BARX   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


A   TEMPORARY    CATTLE    SHED. 

A  farmer  in  Greenvale,  West  Va.,  has  recently  made 
a  shed  for  cattle  which  is  to  serve  him  until  he  can 
build  a  good  barn.  The  shed  is  one  hundred  and  eleven 
feet  long  by  twenty-six  feet  wide,  and  a  cistern  receives 


Fig.  44. — PERSPECTIVE  VIEW  OF  CATTLE  SHED. 


the  water  from  the  roof.  The  post  are  fourteen  feet  long, 
and  there  is  a  space  above  for  holdmg  forty  tons  of 
hay,  and  a  room  below,  seven  feet  high,  which  will  ac- 
commodate sixty  sheep,  twenty  calves,  and  twenty  other 
cattle.  The  frame  consists  entirely  of  poles  and  posts 
which  were  cut  in  the  woods,  and  put  up  without  hewing. 
The  plates,  rafters,  etc.,  were  sawed.  One  side  and  two 
ends  are  boarded  up,  the  rest  is  covered  with  clap-boards. 
The  cistern  is  so  arranged  that  the  water  will  run  out  into 
a  trough  until  it  is  empty,  without  having  to  draw  or  pump 


Fig.  45.— GROUND  TLAN   OI"   CATTLE  SUED. 

it.  Figure  44  gives  a  view  of  one  side  of  the  -slied.  The 
side  braces  arc  poles  ciglit  feet  long.  They  rest  at  the 
foot  on  the  cross  piece  at  the  middle  of  the  post,  and  are 
halved  in  and  spiked  to  the  post,  and  the  upper  end  sup- 


A   COMBINED    COW   SHED    A.ND    PIGPEN.  S"? 

ports  the  plate  in  the  middle.  Figure  45  shows  the  ground 
plan,  on  which  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  and  6,  are  lots  opening  into 
all  the  fields  on  the  farm.  7  is  the  cistern.  A  is  for  sheep, 
B  and  C  are  for  cattle,  and  D  and  B  are  drive  ways.  Figure 
46  shows  the  end  and  middle  bents.     The  long  brace  is 


Fig.  iG.  — DIAGRAM   OF   CE^i  I. 

halved  into  the  inside  post,  in  the  joist,  and  in  the  top 
of  the  outside  post,  and  fastened  with  sixty-penny  spikes 
at  each  place. 

A   COMBINED   COW   SHED   AND   PIGPEN. 

The  figures  47  and  48  illustrate  a  combined  cow  shed 
and  pigpen  belonging  to  Mr.  F.  E.  Gott,  Spencerport, 
N.  Y.  It  consists  of  an  open  shed,  with  a  box  pen  for 
the  cow  on  one  side,  and  the  pigsty  on  the  other — the 
whole  shed  bemg  twenty  feet  long  and  fourteen  broad, 
and  all  covered  by  one  roof.  It  is  constructed  of  hemlock 
lumber,  and  should  not  cost  over  fifty  dollars.  The  out- 
ward appearance  of  the  shed  is  shown  in  figure  47.  The 
posts  in  front  are  twelve  feet  m  bight,  and  the  rear  ones 
eight.  The  boards  are  put  on  vertically,  and  battened  on 
the  joints.  The  roof  is  made  of  rough  boards  laid 
double,  and  breaking  joints,  so  that  it  will  not  leak. 
The  box  for  the  cow  is  eight  by  ten  feet,  six  feet  and 
four  inches  high,  and  has  a  feed  passage  four  by  eight 
feet  adjoining  it.  The  middle  portion  of  the  building  is 
an  open  shed,  seven  by  fourteen  feet,  and  is  used  for 


58 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


storing  muck,  protecting  the  manure  heap  from  the  rains, 
etc.  The  pigpen  occupies  the  left  end  of  the  building, 
and  is  separated  from  the  central  or  shed  portion  by  a  low 


Fig.  47. — FRONT  vraw  of  cow  shed  aud  pigpen. 
partition,  while  the  cow  stall  is  boarded  up  to  the  roof. 
The  floor,  being  six  feet  and  ten  inches  from  the  ground, 
provides  storage  room  between  it  and  the  roof  in  which 
to  put  hay.  It  would  be  better  to  have  the  posts  two 
y\ 


OPEN  SHED. 
7'?<14' 


WEAL 
BOX 


FEEDINQ 

PASSAGE. 

4-  X  8 


STALL  FOR  COW 

S  >']0 


/ 


Fij^.  48. — PLAN  OF   cow  SHED   AND   I'lUPEN. 

feet  higher,  thus  providing  a  loft  in  wliich  over  a  ton  of 
hay  could  be  stored.  The  ground  jilan  of  tliis  cheap  and 
convenient  building  is  shown  in  iiguro  48,  the  position  of 
the  doors,  meal  boxes,  open  shed,  feed  rooms,  etc.,  being 
given. 


NEW    YORK   DAIRY    BARNS. 


59 


CHAPTER   III. 

DAIRY  BAENS. 

A  WESTCHESTER  CO.,  X.  Y.,  DAIRY   BARN. 

The  general  style  of  one  of  the  best  dairy  barns  is 
shown  in  the  four  illustrations  •which  follow.  It  belongs 
to  Mr.  Edward  B.  Brady,  of  Westchester  Co.,  N.  Y.  Figure 


(V 


-fh 


\ii 


Fi?.  49. — PLAN  OF  BASEMENT. 


51  represents  the  elevation  of  the  barn.  It  is  situated 
upon  the  side  of  a  hill,  in  which  the  basement  stable  is 
placed.  This  basement  is  of  stone,  and  nine  feet  high. 
The  barn  is  twenty  feet  high  above  the  stables,  eighty 
feet  long,  and  twenty-eight  feet  wide.  The  yard  is  sur- 
rounded with  a  stone  wall,  and  a 
manure  pit  is  dug  under  the  center 
of  the  building,  large  enough  to 
back  a  wagon  into.  The  basement 
has  four  doors,  and  is  amply  light- 
ed and  ventilated.  The  floor  is  di- 
vided in  the  center  by  a  wide  feed 
passage,iipon  each  side  of  which  are 
stanchions  to  hold  the  cows.  There 
are  no  feed  troughs,  but  the  feed 
is  placed  upon  the  floor  before  each  cow.  The  stanchions 
are  made  of  oak,  are  self-fastening  by  means  of  an  iron 


Fiff.  50.— SECTION. 


60 


BAKN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


AX  OEANGE   COUNTY,  N.  Y.,  DAIRY   BARN. 


61 


loop,  whicli  is  lifted  by  its  bevelled  end  as  the  stanchion 
is  closed — falling  over  and  holding  it  securely.  The 
space  between  the  stanchions  for  the  cow's  neck,  is  six 
inches.  Each  cow  has  a  space  of  three  feet,  and  there 
are  no  stalls  or  partitions  between  them.  The  floor,  upon 
which  the  cows  stand,  is  four  and  one-half  feet  wide. 
To  the  rear  is  a  manure  gutter,  eighteen  inches  wide,  and 
six  inches  deep,  and  behind  the  gutter  a  passage  of  three 
feet  and  six  inches — in  all  giving  a  space  of  fourteen  feet 


1 

[ 

Fig.  52. — PLA_N   OF  FLOOR. 

from  the  center  of  the  feed  passage  to  the  walls  upon 
either  side.  This  is  shown  in  the  plan,  figure  49,  in  which 
a  is  the  grain  pit,  h,  the  spring  house,  c,  the  feed  passage, 
and  d  the  manure  gutters.  The  same  is  seen  in  cross 
section  in  figure  50.  The  barn  floor,  shown  in  figure  53, 
has  four  bays  and  three  floors.  Two  of  the  floors  have 
sliding  doors,  opening  into  the  barn  yard,  and  spacious 
windows  above  them,  as  seen  in  figure  51.  Shutes  are 
made  in  the  floors,  by  which  hay  is  thrown  down  into 
the  feed  passage.  These  also  serve  for  ventilation,  in 
connection  with  the  cupolas  upon  the  roof. 


AN  ORANGE  COUNTY,  N.  Y.,  DAIRY  BARN. 

The  accompanying  engravings  illustrate  a  milk  dairy 
bam,  belonging  to  J.  E.  S.  Gardner,  of  Orange  County, 
N.  Y.  This  bam  is  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  long, 
thirty-two  feet  wide,  twenty  feet  high,  with  a  basement 
nine  feet  high.  The  building  is  on  a  slope,  facing  west. 
In  front  is  a  pit  for  preserving  brewers'  grains,  thirty  feet 


63 


BAKX   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


long,  nine  deep,  and  sixteen  wide.     The  interior  arrange- 
ments are  very  convenient.     Eigure  54  shows  the  main 


t'iS-  5:5.— VIEW  OP  AN  OBANGE  COUNTY,  N.  T.,   BAKN. 


floor.  There  are  six  horse  stalls,  sixteen  feet  long,  with 
a  manure  shute  in  the  corner,  leading  to  the  manure  pit 
in  the  basement  beneath  ;   a  driving  floor,  twenty  feet 


RAY    MOW 
73X32 
Hay  SHOor  hay  shoot 


ETWRS 

MT 


Fii?.  54. — PL.VN   OF   MAIN    FLOOK. 


wide,  with  stairs  and  feed  room  and  a  hay  mow,  seventy- 
two  by  thirty-two  feet,  with  hay  shutes  leading  to  the  feed- 
ing floor  below.     Figure  55  shows  a  plan  of  the  basement. 


1                                           MANURE 

PIT                         niNURC  shuotI 

1 

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1  [  1 1 M  fpm  III  1 1 1 1  f  ( III  1 1 M 

1                         -TOf^-- 

1  CELLAR  1 

Fig.  55.— I'LAN  OF  BASEMEXT. 

in  which  are  thirty-six  stanchions  along  the  center,  with 
doors  at  each  end.     In  front  of  the  cows  is  an  alley,  six- 


AN   EXTENSION   DAIKY    BAKN. 


C3 


teen  feet  wide,  for  feeding,  tbrongh  which  a  wagon  can 
be  driven  from  end  to  end.  Behind  the  stanchions  is  a 
standing  phxtform  for  the  cows,  with  a  drop  fifteen  inches 
wide,  then  a  walk  of  three  feet,  and  a  manure  pit  seven 
and  one-half  feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep,  with  a  cement 
floor.  In  the  rear  are  several  sliding  doors,  one  in  each 
bent,  for  removing  manure.  The  pit  for  grains  is  covered 
with  railroad  iron  and  flagging.  A  perspective  view  of 
the  barn,  showing  its  situation,  is  given  in  figure  53. 


AN  EXTENSION   DAIRY  BARN. 

A  cow  barn  that  can  be  easily  extended  as  the  herd 
may  be  enlarged,  will  be  found  very  convenient  by  many. 
The  size  of  a  herd  is  frequently  restricted  by  the  accom- 
modations afforded  by  the  barn,  and  when  an  increase 
might  otherwise  be  desirable,  it  is  found  objectionable  on 
this  account.  It  is  not  always  possible  to  pull  down  one's 
barns  to  build  larger,  but  when  it  is  convenient  to  add 


Fig.  56. — PLAN  OF   DAIKY   BAKN. 

to  them  at  either  end,  increased  room  can  be  gained  with 
but  little  outlay.  A  dairy  barn  is  herewith  illustrated 
that  can  be  extended  to  any  desirable  limits  without 
changing  the  plan.  In  these  days  of  steam,  and  all  kinds 
of  machinery,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  using  long  narrow 
buildings,  for,  with  the  hay  fork  and  the  hay  carrier,  the 
forage  can  be  readily  stored  in  the  longest  barn  and  dropped 
wherever  it  is  desired,  Avithout  trouble,  and  by  using  a 
tram  road  and  light  feed  cars,  three  hundred  cows  can  be 


64 


BAKN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


fed  from  a  central  feed  room  as  easily  as  thirty  can  be 
in  the  old-fashioned  manner.  Figure  56  is  the  plan  of  a 
cow  barn  that  will  be  found  as  convenient  for  a  small 
herd  of  twenty  or  thirty  cows,  as  for  one  of  ten  times 
that  number.  The  building  may  be  twenty-four  or 
forty-two  feet  wide.  The  plan  shown  is  forty-two  feet 
in  width,  and  accommodates  two  double  rows  of  cows. 
If  room  for  only  one  double  row  is  desired,  twenty-four 
feet  will  be  of  ample  width.  The  plan  gives  a  centra] 
passage  for  feeding,  six  feet  wide,  with  a  tram  roadwaji 
laid  down  in  it.     On  each  side  of  this  are  the  double 


Fig.  57. — VIEW   OF   DAIRY   BABN. 

rows  of  stalls,  witli  a  feed  trough  for  each.  Tlie  floors  on 
which  the  cows  stand  are  seven  feet  wide,  which  gives 
room  for  a  gutter  behind  each  row,  and  for  a  feed  trough 
four  feet  wide,  divided  lengthwise  into  two  by  a  sufficient- 
ly liigh  partition,  each  jxart  being  two  feet  wide.  The 
feed  is  readily  thrown  into  these  troughs  from  the  central 
passage,  along  whicli  the  feed  car  can  he  drawn  by  a  small 
horse,  or  be  pushed  by  a  man.  A  turn  table  is  provided 
in  the  center  of  tlie  passage,  to  admit  of  a  car  being 
brought  with  empty  milk  cans  from  the  wasli  liouse  iu 
the  rear,  or  with  the  full  ones  to  the  milk  liouse  after 
milking.     The  door  Avays  are  made  very  capacious,  and 


AJf    EXTENSION"    DAIHY   BARN". 


65 


the  doors  are  double  ;  the  door  Avays  may  be  left  open 
during  the  summer,  the  doors  being  fastened  back  against 
the  wall.  The  ujiper  floor  is  kept  for  hay,  fodder,  and 
feed ;  these  being  placed  at  each  end,  leave  the  center 
open  and  free  for  cutting  and  mixing  the  feed.  Here, 
should  be  a  fodder  cutter  and  a  large  mixing  box,  in  the 
side  of  which  there  should  be  a  spout  to  carry  feed  to  the 
car  on  the  floor  below.  If  the  food  is  steamed,  the  boiler 
can  be  kept  in  a  rear  building,  not  shown  in  the  plan, 
the  steura  being  carried  to  an  engine,  which  would  work 
the  fodder  cutter,  and  the  steamer,  both  on  the  upper 
floor.  This  would  be  preferable  to  having  the  boiler  in 
the  main  building,  and  would  avoid  much  risk  from  fire. 
In  figiire  57  is  shown  the  elevation  of  the  building.  The 
central  door  above  is  for  the  admission  of  feed  to  the  bins. 
A  door  is  provided  at  each  end  for  unloading  fodder,  a 
hay  fork  and  a  hay  carrier  being  used  for  the  unloading. 
Tliere  should  be  ample  ventilation  provided  by  means  of 
shafts,  and  these  can  also  be  utilized  for  dropping  hay  to 
the  floor  beneath.  When  an  extension  is  desired,  it  is 
only  necessary  to  add  a  bent  or  tAvo  at  each  end,  carry 
out  the  roof  and  floor,  and  remove  the  ends. 


66 


BAEN    PLAXS   AXD    OUTBUILDINGS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
CATTLE  SHELTERS. 

With  winter  come  the  piercing  winds,  the  intense  cold, 
and,  unless  well  protected,  the  greatest  suffering  that  the 
farm  animals  experience  during  the  whole  year.  It  is 
the  season  when  to  keep  the  stock  warm  is  no  less  a  mat- 
ter of  economy  than  to  keep  them  well  fed  ;  in  fact,  they 


PENS  AND  FRAME  OF  ARCUWAY  FOR  A  SHELTER. 


are  fed  in  a  great  measure  to  keep  up  the  animal  heat, 
the  food  serving  much  the  same  end  that  coal  does  to  tlie 
furnace.  This  being  true,  it  is  reasonable  to  infer  that 
an  animal  will  rc([uire  less  food  to  maintain  the  proper 
temperature  of  the  body,  were  it  warmed  in  part  by  other 
means.  Tlie  inference  is  a  true  one,  as  thousands  of  ex- 
periments show  ;  in  fact,  it  goes  without  questioning  that 
farm  stock,  when  sheltered  from  the  cold  of  winter, 
require  considerably  less  food  to  keep  them  in  a  good, 
thriving  condition,  tlian  do  those  animals  that  are  con- 
tinually exposed  to  the  weather.     Shelter  then  has  much 


AN   ARCHWAY  SUELTER. 


67 


more  in  its  favor  than  simply  the  humane  side,  which 
alone  is  enough  to  warrant  the  comfortable  protection  of 
animals.  There  is  an  appeal  to  the  pocket  as  well  as  to 
sympathy  in  the  lowing  of  the  shivering  herd.  All  far- 
mers, and  especially  those  in  the  newer  portions  of  the 
West,  do  not  have  stables  for  their  cattle  or  snug  sheds  for 


Fig.  59— THK  ARCHWAY  UNDER  THE  STACK  COMPLETE. 

their  sheep.  Stock  raisers  are  called  upon  to  make  the 
winter  as  comfortable  as  possible  for  their  animals,  with 
the  limited  means  at  their  command.  Sheds  of  poles 
with  roofs  of  straw  are  extensively  used  and  with  profit. 

AN    ARCHWAY    SHELTER. 

An  archway  shelter,  under,  or  through  a  straw  stack,  is 
an  inexpensive  and  valuable  device  for  stock  protection. 
The  skeleton  frame  of  such  a  one  is  given  in  figure  58. 
It  consists  of  two  rail  pens,  of  the  ordinary  sort,  for 
the  bottoms  of  small   stacks,   placed  near  enough  to- 


68  BARI^   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

getlier  so  that  an  archway  of  poles  can  be  made  between 
them,  in  the  manner  shown  in  the  engraving.  The  lower 
end  of  each  pole  is  set  a  short  distance  in  the  ground, 
resting  near  the  middle  on  the  top  rail  of  the  pen, 
crossing  its  neighbor  pole  from  the  other  pen,  and  fast- 
ened to  it  with  wire  at  the  top  and  also  to  the  rider. 
Over  this  structure  the  straw  stack  is  built,  and  when 
finished  has  the  appearance  shown  in  figure  59.  In  this 
way  a  snug  shelter  of  considerable  size  can  be  made  be- 
neath the  stack  under  which  the  cattle  gladly  take  refuge 
in  stormy  weather.  The  structure  is  a  permanent  one, 
the  rails  and  poles  remaining  if  necessary  from  year  to 
year,  or,  if  taken  down,  to  be  re-arranged  again  in  a  short 
time,  just  before  the  thrashing  is  done.  Such  an  arch- 
way shelter  would  not  be  out  of  place  in  many  a  well- 
kept  barn  yard.  If  the  stack  is  a  long  one,  a  double  arch- 
way may  be  made,  and  each  will  save  many  steps  in  doing 
the  work  of  the  bai  n  yard. 

CHEAP  TEMPORARY   SHELTERS   FOR   STOCK. 

Whenever  it  is  found  practicable,  the  shelter  should  be 
located  upon  the  east  or  south  side  Of  a  forest,  or  a  hill, 
in  order  that  the  force  of  the  bleak  winds  may  be  broken 
as  much  as  possible.  A  cheap  shelter  may  be  made  of 
poles,  as  shown  in  figure  GO,  covered  with  straw  or  refuse 
hay.  Two  crotched  posts,  eight  feet  in  length,  are  set  two 
feet  in  the  ground,  and  from  twelve  to  twenty  feet  apart. 
These  are  connected  at  the  top  by  a  strong  pole,  upon 
which  rest  the  upper  ends  of  other  poles,  twelve  or  fifteen 
feet  in  length.  The  ends  of  this  shelter  are  boarded  up 
as  shown  in  figure  CO.  A  warm  and  comfortable  shelter  is 
illustrated  in  figure  Gl.  Six  strong  posts  are  set  in  the 
ground,  forming  the  corners  and  sides  of  an  enclosure, 
about  twelve  by  fifteen  feet,  and  six  feet  high.  These 
are  boarded  up  on  three  sides,  and  roofed  with  strong 


CHEAP  TEMPOKARY   SHELTERS   FOR   STOCK. 


69 


planks  or  poles  ;  the  whole  is  overlaid  with  straw.     The 
covering  is  best  and  most  economically  done  at  thrashing 


Fig.  60.— SHELTER  OP  POLES  AND  BOARDS. 

time,  by  building  the  frame  work  in  the  barn  yard.  A 
cheap  board  shelter  is  shown  in  figure  G2.  In  making 
one  after  this  plan,  fourteen  feet  wide,  the  highest  part 


Fig.  61. — SHELTER  COVERED  WITH  STRAW. 

should  be  eight  feet,  and  the  lowest  about  five  feet,  using 
sixteen-foot  boards  for  roofing,  which  will  project  upon 


70 


FARM    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


each  side.     The  roof  can  be  of  matched  himber,  or  rough 
boards  battened.     Almost  any  farmer  is  enough  of  a 


02. — CHEAP  BOARD  SHELTER, 


mechanic  to  construct  such   a  shelter,  and   it  will  be 
found  serviceable  as  well  as  neat  in  ajipearance. 

It  often    happens    that    those  who    have   tlie   most 


^ 

c 

^'f 

h 

f    ^ 

B^^^ 

j 

^ 

1^1^ 

tVt^ 

1 

Fig.  63.— SHBLTBB  ASDBD  TO  BIBN. 

improved  barns  and  oilier   outbuildings,  desire   to  feed 
for  a  few  months,  an  extra  number  of  sheep  or  cattle. 


CATTLE   SHELTERS   OX   TUE    PLAIXS. 


71 


but  have  not  sufficient  convenient  shelter.  This  may  be 
provided  by  a  temporary  addition  to  a  large  building,  as 
in  figure  G3,  in  ^yllich  X  is  a  post  set  in  the  ground,  B, 
board  roof,  and  D  a  post  of  the  main  building.  This 
structure  can  occupy  the  end  or  side  of  a  building,  as  may 
be  most  convenient,  and  may  be  so  arranged  that  hay  and 
grain  can  be  fed  directly  from  the  large  building  without 
passing  out  of  doors.  The  only  trouble  with  shelters 
of  this  kind  is,  farmers  find  them  so  convenient, 
that  they  are  tempted  to  let  them  remain  for  years,  and 
so  become  permanent  instead  of  temporary.  Unless 
they  are  constructed  of  a  material,  and  in  a  manner  not 
to  detract  from  the  appearance  of  larger  buildings,  they 
should  be  removed  as  soon  as  they  have  served  the  im- 
mediate purpose  for  which  they  were  erected. 


CATTLE    SHELTERS   ON   THE   PLAINS. 

In  the  far  western  gi'azing  regions,  where  the  natural 
protection  of  ravines,  groves  of  timber,  etc.,  is  not  avail- 


Fig.  04. — CATTLE  SUED  COVERED  WITH  HAT, 

able,  shelters  of  the  kinds  shown  in  figures  64,  65,  and 
66,  may  be  provided.  Poles  are  set  in  the  ground  in 
rows  sixteen  feet  apart,  and  twelve  feet  apart  in  the  rows. 
Cross  beams  or  poles  are  spiked  to  these  to  hold  a  frame 
of  lighter  poles,  and  others,  placed  sloping,  are  laid  upon 
the  north  side  as  shown  in  figure  6-i.     Piles  of  liay  are 


72 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


spread  over  tliesc  frames,  as  seen  in  figure  65.  They 
furnish  at  the  same  time,  shelter  from  storms,  and  feed 
for  the  protected  animals.  A  large  number  of  these  shel- 
ters are  often  made  on  the  range,  and  some  of  them  are 
hundreds  of  feet  in  length,  and  so  curved  as  to  protect 
from  northwest  and  east  winds.  One  of  these  large  three- 
sided  enclosures  is  shown  in  figure  66.     After  a  severe 


Fig.  Co. — CATTLE  SHELTER  FOR  THE   PLAINS. 

storm,  the  shelters  are  fixed  up  by  packing  more  hay  on 
the  sloping  poles,  to  furnish  feed  for  the  cattle,  and  when 
the  next  storm  comes  the  shelters  are  acceptable  both  as 
a  source  of  food  and  for  protection.  Those  who  have 
travelled  over  the  large  cattle  ranges  of  Kansas,  Ne- 
braska, Colorado  and  Wyoming  must  have  often  been 
struck  with  the  skill  displayed  in  the  construction  of 
shelters. 


CATTLE  SHELTER   ON   PRAIRIES. 


73 


74 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SHEEP    BARNS   AND    SHEDS. 

A    CONVENIENT   SHEEP   BAEN. 

Unless  sheep  are  carefully  provided  for,  tliere  is  sure 
to  be  trouble  and  loss  in  the  flock.  If  it  was  figured 
up  how  much  money  may  be  made  yearly,  by  good  care 
out  of  one  hundred  dollars  invested  in  sheej),  as  compared 
with  the  profit  from  one  hundred  dollars  invested  in  cows. 


Fig.  67.— FBONT  ELEVATION  Of  SHEEP  BAKN. 


or  a  mare,  the  balance  would  generally  be  in  favor  of  the 
sheep.  During  the  winter  season,  the  keeping  of  sheep 
refjuires  much  care  and  skill,  and,  with  a  large  flock, 
but  little  success  can  be  had  without  a  good  sheep  barn. 
Such  a  barn,  having  many  conveniences  both  for  the  flock 
and  their  owner,  is  here  illustrated.  It  consists  of  a  barn, 
shown  in  figure  67,  about  twenty  feet  wide,  sixteen  feet 
high  from  ])ascment  to  eaves,  and  as  long  as  is  desirable. 
This  is  intended  to  store  the  hay  or  fodder.  Tlie  posts, 
sills,  and  ])lates  are  all  eight  inches  square,  and  the  girts 
and  braces  four  inches  square.    The  beams,  two  by  ten, 


A   CONVENIENT  SHEEP  BARN. 


75 


are  placed  sixteen  inches  apart,  and  cross-bridged  with 
strips,  three  inches  wide.  The  hay  is  piled  inside,  so 
that  a  passage  way  is  left  over  the  feed  passage  below,  in 
which  there  are  trap  doors.  The  hay  is  thrown  down 
through  these  doors,  and  falls  upon  a  sloping  shelf,  which 
carries  it  into  the  feed  racks  below  ;  see  figure  G8.     The 


68. — SIDE  SECTION  OF  BAKN. 


basement  iinder  the  barn  is  eight  feet  high,  and  is  of 
stone  on  three  sides ;  the  front  is  supported  by  posts, 
eight  inches  square,  and  eight  feet  apart.  Between  each 
pair  of  posts,  a  door  is  hung  upon  pins,  figure  G9,  which 
fits  into  grooves  upon  the  posts,  so  that  the  door  may  be 
raised  and  fastened,  held  suspended  half  Avay,  shut  down, 
or  removed  altogether.  By  this  contrivance  at  least 
half  the  front  of  the  basement  must  be  left  open,  whether 
the  sheep  be  shut  in  or  out.  The  floor  of  the  basement 
is  slightly  sloping  from  rear  to  front,  so  that  it  Avill  al- 


76 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


waji  be  dry.  Figure  70  gives  the  plan  of  the  basement. 
The  feed  passage  is  shown  at  c  ;  the  stairway  to  the  root 
cellar  at  h,  and  the  root  cellar  at  a.  Figure  G8  gives  a 
section  of  the  whole  barn.  The  hay  loft  is  above,  and  the 
passage  way  and  the  doors  are  shown,  by  which  the  hay 
is  throv.'n  down  to  the  feed  racks 
below.  The  sloping  shelf,  by 
which  the  hay  is  carried  into 
the  feed  racks,  is  also  seen, 
low  the  feed  rack  is  the 
or  meal.  A  door  shuts  off 
sheep  at  the   front,  while   the 


Be- 

feed 
this 
feed 


Fig.  69.— DOOR. 

trough  for  roots 
trough  from  the 
is  being  prepared,  and  when  it  is  ready,  the  door  is 
raised,  and  held  up  to  the  feed  rack  by  a  strap  or  a  hook. 
The  feed  rack  is  closely  boarded  behind,  and  this  back 
part,  Avhich  is  in  the  feed  passage,  slopes  toward  the 
front,  so  as  to  carry  the  hay  forward  to  the  bottom.  The 
front  of  the  rack  is  of  upright  slats,  smoothly  dressed, 
two  inches  wide,  and  placed  three  inches  apart.  The 
boards  of  the  feed  trough  are  smoothly  dressed  and  sand- 


(1 

^-"^'W.W" 

,■>W'^"^^^^TOM!W^!J,^^^^WTW^| 

c 

V^ 

c 

Fig.  70. — PLAN  OF  BASEMENT  TO  SHEEP  BARN. 

papered,  and  all  the  edges  are  rounded,  so  that  there  is 
nothing  })y  which  the  wool  may  be  torn  or  ruljbcd  off 
from  the  necks  of  the  sheei).  The  root  cellar  is  at  the  roar 
of  the  basement,  and  is  reaclied  by  the  stairs  already  men- 
tioned. A  barn,  largo  enough  to  accommodate  one  hun- 
dred sheep,  may  be  built  for  about  live  hundred  to  six 
liundrod  dollars. 


SHEEP  SHEDS  AND  BACKS. 


SHEEP  SHEDS  AND  RACKS. 


Sheep  that  are  not  being  prejiared  for  market  do  not 
thrive  well  during  winter,  unless  they  have  exercise  and  a 
well  ventilated  shed.  Such  a  building  may  be  of  any 
hight,  but  the  floor  need  not  be  more  than  six  feet  from 
the  ground,  which  gives  a  large  amount  of  storage  room 
for  hay.  The  floor  should  be  of  matched  boards,  or  the 
cracks  should  be  otherwise  closed  uj)  to  prevent  hay  seed 
or  chafE  from  dropping  upon  the  wool.  The  front  of  the 
shed  is  boarded  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  ground,  leaving 


Fig.  71. — SHED,  PEN,  AND  RACK  FOB  SHEEP. 

that  space  open,  that  the  sheep  may  go  in  or  out  when 
they  please.  The  feeding  rack  is  placed  round  three  sides 
of  the  shed,  and  slopes  forward  so  that  the  sheep  can 
consume  the  last  mouthful  of  hay  contained  in  it.  It  is 
made  so  high  that  the  sheep  cannot  reach  over  the  front 
of  it  and  pull  the  hay  out  over  each  other's  wool.  Three 
and  one-half  feet  is  the  right  hight  for  large  sheep.  The 
slats  are  placed  three  inches  apart,  which  prevents  tlie 
sheep  from  pushing  their  heads  through,  and  wearing 
the  wool  from  their  necks.  Everything  about  a  sheep 
pen  should  be  smooth,  leaving  no  rough  splinters  to  catch 


78 


LAIIX   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


and  tear  the  wool.  Tlie  pen  and  yard  should  be  kept 
well  littered.  This  shed,  shown  in  figure  71,  is  arranged 
especially  to  keep  the  wool  clean  and  free  from  liay  seed, 
clover  heads,  and  dust,  and  that  the  sheej)  may  be  out-doors 
or  in-doors  as  they  wish,  and  according  to  the  weatlicr. 

SHED   FOR  SOILING   SHEEP. 

When  it  is  desirable  to  keep  sheep  in  yards  near  the 
barn,  for  the  purpose  of  soiling,  a  structure  can  be 
made  as  follows  :    A  green  paddock  of  about  an  acre  is 


Fig.  72.— A  bllliD  POB  SOILUSG  SHEEP. 


divided  by  fences  nito  four  ]iarts,  as  shown  in  the  illus- 
trations. A  partly  open  shed  with  feed  racks  all  around 
it  is  placed  in  the  center.  For  fifty  sheep  a  building 
twenty  feet  square  is  amply  large.  A  door  from  each 
quarter  of  the  patldock  opens  into  this  shed.  As  one 
quarter  is  used,  the  doors  opening  to  the  other  arc  closed. 


SHED    FOR   SOILING    SHEEP. 


79 


Figure  73  shows  the  yards  with  the  shed  in  the  center. 
The  outer  gates  are  at  a,  opening  into  the  lane.     The 


Fig.  73. — PLAN   OF   SHEEP  TAKD. 

gates,  h,  b,  lead  into  the  rear  quarters.  The  doors  of  the 
shed  are  at  c,  c.  Figure  74  shows  an  enlarged  view  of 
a  plan  of  the  shed.     Figure  72  gives  the  elevation  of 


Fig.  7-t. — FLAN  OF  SHED. 


the  shed,  with  a  large  double  doorway  closed  by  half- 
doors,  and  open  at  the  top.  There  are  also  large  open 
windows,  so  that  the  shed  is  airy.    There  is  no  provision 


80 


BARN    PLxVXS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


for  water  in  the  yards,  and  this  is  the  best  plan,  as  the 
yards  are  kept  dry,  and  it  necessitates  at  least  so  much 
exercise  as  will  be  derived  from  driving  the  sheep  to  water 
twice  a  day.  The  change  of  yards  is  needed  to  keep 
them  dry  and  free  from  mud  in  wet  weather.  The  crops 
that  may  be  nsefnlly  fed  in  such  a  yard  are  rye,  clover, 
grass,  rape,  mustard,  peas  and  oats,  barley  and  tares, 
turnips,  or  any  others  that  are  used  when  sheei^  are 
fenced  by  hurdles. 


VIRGINIA   SHEEP  BARN. 


A  Virginia  sheep  barn,  which  possesses  many  conven- 
iences, is  shown  in  the  accompanying  plan,  figure  75.  The 
yard,  a,  is  one  hundred  feet  square,  divided  by  a  hurdle 


O.— VIUGINIA  SHEEP  nriLDING. 


fence  (shown  l)y  the  dotted  lines.)  into  as  many  i)ortions 
as  may  be  desired.  Tlie  entrance  is  at  h,  where  there  is  a 
gate  hung  upon  a  post,  r,  in  sucli  a  way  as  to  open  or 


A    KANSAS   SHEEP   SHELTER.  81 

close  each  half  of  the  yard.  The  yard  is  enclosed  on 
three  sides  by  a  shed,  ten  feet  high  to  the  eaves,  with  a 
double  roof.  The  ground  floor,  seven  feet  high,  is  ap- 
propriated for  sheep  pens,  and  the  three  feet  above  for  a 
hay  loft.  The  shed  is  twelve  feet  wide,  and  has  a  row  of 
separate  pens,  six  feet  wide,  upon  the  north  side.  On 
the  other  sides  there  are  narrow  doors  for  the  sheep,  seen 
at  d,  d,  and  sliding  shutters,  e,  e,  eight  feet  long,  and 
three  and  one-half  feet  high,  which  are  also  used  for 
entrances  to  the  shed.  The  yard  is  closed  at  the  front 
by  a  fence  ten  feet  high.  There  are  no  outside  win- 
dows, and  but  two  doors,  and  only  one  of  these,  that  at 
/,  is  locked  from  without,  so  that  the  turning  of  one 
key  on  the  outside  secures  the  whole  from  trespassers. 
There  is  a  second  yard  one  hundred  and  fifty  by  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  feet,  upon  the  south  side  of  the 
sheep  yard,  with  an  open  shed  facing  the  south,  and 
divided  into  pens  nine  feet  deep,  for  cows  or  sheep,  and  a 
pigpen  thirty-five  feet  square,  at  the  southeast  of  the 
sheep  yard.  These  sheds  are  made  of  inch  boards,  nailed 
up  and  down  upon  the  frame  work,  and  the  roof  is  of 
boards  with  sjLifiicient  jiitch  to  shed  rain  perfectly. 

A   KANSAS   SHEEP   SHELTER. 

The  shelter  or  corral  represented  in  figure  76  is  one 
built  by  Mr.  George  Grant,  of  Victoria,  Kansas.  The 
walls  are  of  stone,  covered  with  a  peaked  roof.  It  is 
square  in  shape,  with  sides  about  five  hundred  and  seventy 
feet  long.  A  commodious  house  of  two  stories  is  built 
at  one  corner,  for  the  sliepherds. 

Another  plan  of  a  shelter  is  given  in  figure  77 — that  of 
Mr,  AV.  B.  Shaw,  of  Syracuse,  Kansas.  As  at  Victoria, 
the  Buffalo-grass  here  furnishes  the  chief  pasturage.  The 
shed  is  made  of  cotton-wood  poles,  and  coarse  liay  from 
the  river  bottom,  and  surrounds  an  enclosure  two  hundred 


s-z 


BAK2S    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


A    KANSAS   SHEEP   SHELTER. 


83 


feet  long  by  one  hundred  feet  wide.  We  see  the  stack- 
yard for  hay  at  a;  the  horse  barn  at  J  ;  the  poultry  house 
at  c ;  the  water  trough  and  pump,  operated  by  a  wind- 


Fig.  77.— SHEEP  SHEDS  OF  W.  B.  SHAW,  SYRACUSE,  KAHSAS. 

mill,  at  d;  the  sheepfold  at  e,  and  the  feeding  yard  with 
hay  stacks  and  racks,  at  /.  Around  the  feeding  yard 
are  sheds  with  a  single  roof  sloping  outAvards 


84 


BARX    PLAXS   AND   0UTI5U1LDINGS. 


SHEEP  SHELTER   ON"   THE    PLAINS. 


The  climate  of  the  AVestern  plains  is  arid  and  exhila- 
rating, the  soil  dry  and  porous,  the  herbage  short,  sweet, 
and  nutritious.  Aromatic  plants,  which  are  healthful  for 
sheep,  abound,  and  the  main  obstacle  Avhich  has  hitherto 
presented  itself,  to  interfere  with  the  complete  success  of 
those  who  have  experimented  in  sheep-raising  has  been 


^^- 


Frsc.  78.— SEMi-cmCT-i 


=m 


tlie  sudden  snow  storms  which  have  ovcrwliclmed  the 
flocks.  Ordinary  buildings  are  frequently  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, both  from  want  of  material,  and  the  funds  wherewith 
to  erect  them.  The  flocks  may  be  sheltered  from  the 
driving  tempest  of  snow  or  sleet  by  means  of  walls  which 
are  semi-circular  in  shape,  and  consist  of  stones  roughly 
laid  up,  or  of  sods  cut  from  the  plains  and  piled  five 
feet  higli.  The  outside  of  the  curve  is  ahvays  })laced 
towards  (he  north  or  northwest,  the  direction  from  which 
tlie  prevailing  storms  blow.  Where  the  flocks  are  small, 
a  few  walls  arc  sulTicient,  scattered  about  in  conveni- 
ent and  accessible  ]ilaccs,  generally  Avhere  tlie  configura- 
tion of  the  ground  gives  additional  shelter,  as,  for  in- 
stance, on  the  southern  tdope  of  a  hill,  or  where  a  grove 


CHEAP  SHELTER   OX   THE    TLAIXS. 


85 


helps  to  break  the  force  of  the  storm.  One  of  these  semi- 
circular shelters  is  seen  in  figure  78.  Figure  79  shows  a 
more  elaborate  one,  suitable  for  larger  flocks,  and  also 
designed  as  a  protection  against  storms  from  whatever 


Fig.  79. — CONCENTRIC  SHEEP  SHELTER. 

direction  they  may  come.  This  latter  shelter  consists  of 
two  half-circles,  with  entrances  flanked  and  protected  by 
other  walls,  so  that  the  flock  is  harbored  on  all  quarters. 
Very  often  an  inner  circle  is  built,  which  again  adds  to 
the  protection  and  increases  the  amount  of  shelter. 


86 


BAKJSr    PLAXS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


POULTRY  HOUSES. 


Poultry  Houses  may  be  expensive  buildings — or  suitable 
accommodations  that  answer  the  purpose  equally  well 
can  be  very  cheaply  made.  The  essential  requisites  are 
a  warm,  dry,  well-lighted  and  ventilated  shelter,  that  will 
ensure  comfort  in  winter,  with  convenient  arrangements 
for  roosts,  feeding  space,  and  nest  boxes.  In  winter, 
light  and  warmth  are  of  the  first  importance.     Fowls  will 


Zi 

M~^ 

1^ 

1 

1 

.f- 

\     /', 

— ( 

•Y 

'/ 

— « 

^^ 

'. 

-< 

r 

1 — 

'/ 

-i 

t- 

r 

B    -1 

1  li  1 

c             c 

r     A     r 

.^^ 

=j 

p 

■"             0 

Fig.  80. — GROUND  PLAN  OF  A  POULTBT  HOUSE. 

neither  lay  nor  keep  in  health  when  confined  in  cold,  wet, 
and  dark  apartments,  Windows  facing  the  south  or 
southeast,  large  enough  to  admit  the  sun  freely,  should 
be  provided,  and  made  to  slide  so  that  a  free  circulation 
of  air  can  be  secured  in  summer. 


A   CHEAP   AND   CONVENIENT    POULTRY    HOUSE. 

The  plan,  figure  80,  of  a  poultry  house  will  be  found 
convenient  when  two  varieties  of  fowls  arc  kept,  yards 
being  made  in  front  of  each  compartment  for  an  out-door 
range,  when  it  is  necessary  to  keep  lliom  in  confinement. 
The  ground  plan,  shown  in  the  figure,  is  ten  by  twenty- 
nine  feet ;  apartments  for  fowls  ten  by  twelve  feet ;  A, 


A    CHEAP   AND    CONVENIENT   POULTRY   HOUSE. 


87 


outside  door  ;  B,  ball,  to  provide  for  storing  feed,  giving 
access  to  the  nests  without  entering  the  apartments  in 
Avhich  the  fowls  live.  Slatted  gates,  six  and  one-half  feet 
liigli,  are  placed  at  C ;  the  space  above  the  gates,  and 


81.— VERTICAL   SECTION  THROUGH  THE  HOUSE. 


above  the  nest  boxes,  should  be  slatted  to  allow  circula- 
tion of  air.  Large  windows  are  in  the  side  at  D,  D  ;  nest 
boxes  at  E,  and  roosts  at  F.  The  back  nests  are  four  feet 
high  ;  front  nests,  two  feet ;  with  large  Asiatic  fowls,  the 
roosts  should  be  made  nearer  the  floor.  If  but  a  single 
variety  is  kept,  the  hall  and  compartment  at  one  end  will 


Fig.  82.— FRONT  VIEW  OF  POULTRY  HOUSE. 

answer  the  purpose,  and  the  door.  A,  figure  80,  opening 
at  one  side,  may  be  placed  at  the  end.  Figure  81  shows 
a  section  through  the  middle  of  the  house — from  0  to  F, 
in  the  plan  80.     The  slats  in  front  of  the  nest  boxes  are 


88  BARN    PLAXS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 

marked  11 ;  other  letters  as  in  figure  80.  The  front  ele- 
vation, nine  feet  high,  is  shown  in  figure  82.  The  doors, 
G,  G,  for  fowls,  are  near  the  main  door,  A,  and  within 
reach  from  the  hall,  so  that  one  can  readily  close  them 
without  going  into  the  fowl  apartment.  An  opening  with 
a  sliding  shutter  that  can  be  partly  or  entirely  closed 
from  the  alley  may  be  made  over  the  main  door.  A,  for 
the  purposes  of  ventilation.  The  nest  boxes  may  be 
one  foot  wide  and  sixteen  inches  high.  For  convenience 
in  cleaning,  the  nest  boxes  should  be  made  in  sections,  so 
that  they  can  be  readily  taken  apart.  The  architectural 
finish  of  the  exterior  is  a  matter  of  taste,  and  may  con- 
form to  that  of  the  surrounding  buildings.  Poultry 
houses  are  frequently  made  as  a  lean-to  against  other 
buildings,  but  all  things  considered,  it  is  best  to  have  them 
apart,  and  by  themselves.  They  are  not  desirable  near  the 
horse  staljlc,  as  vermin  are  liable  to  get  on  the  horses  un- 
less care  is  constantly  exercised  in  their  extermination. 

AN   OHIO   POULTRY   HOUSE. 

The  engraving,  figure  83,  represents  the  poultry  house 
of  Mr.  J.  II.  Kemp,  of  Germantown,  Ohio,  which  the 
owner  regards  as  cheap  and  convenient.  It  was  built 
upon  a  raised  bank,  and  has  a  trench  around  it  which  keeps 
the  interior  always  dry.  The  house  is  seventy-two  feet 
long  and  twelve  feet  wide,  and  is  divided  into  nine  apart- 
ments, each  eight  by  twelve  feet.  Eight  varieties  of  fowls 
were  kept  in  it  when  the  owner  was  actively  pursuing 
o])erations.  The  runs,  as  shown  in  the  foreground,  are 
eight  by  seventy  feet,  and  each  one  has  two  ])lum  trees  in  it, 
which  furnish  both  shade  and  fruit ;  the  plums,  it  is 
said,  are  not  injured  by  insects.  There  is  no  room  lost 
l)y  alleys  or  passages  inside  of  the  house ;  entrance  is 
gained  by  doors  which  pass  into  each  pen  and  run.  To 
preserve  cleanliness,  every  pnrt  of  the  building  i^5  made 


AN   OUIO    POULTEY   HOUSE. 


89 


accessible,  and  Tcntilation  is  secured  by  two  cupolas.  The 
rear  part  of  the  house  is  five  feet  high,  and  the  front, 


which  faces  the  south,  is  eight  feet  iu  Light.  There  is 
a  stout  roof  of  glass  on  the  south  side,  and  a  large  win- 
dow  furnishing  abundant  light   to  each   apartment. 


90 


BARX    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


ANOTHER    CHEAP   HEN  HOUSE. 

The  liouse,  figure  84,  is  ten  feet  wide  and  twelve  feet 
long.  A  passage  way  four  feet  wide  runs  along  the  south 
side,  in  which  are  windows  ;  this  is  formed  by  a  parti- 
tion three  feet  high,  wliich  extends  from  near  the  door  to 
tiie  rear,  and  supports  the  lower  side  of  a  sloping  floor, 
that  rises  to  the  eaves  on  the  north  side.  Tlie  roosts 
are  fixed  above  this  sloping  floor,  and  the  droppings  of 
tlic  birds  fall  upon  the  floor,  which,  being  sprinkled  witli 
plaster,  they  roll  down,  or  are  easily  scraped  off.     There 


FiLC.  84. — SECTION  OF  HEN  HOUSE. 

is  a  ledge  at  the  front  edge  which  prevents  tlieir  going  to 
the  floor.  Under  this  sloping  floor  the  space  is  divided 
by  a  partition,  making  a  nest  room  about  six  feet  square, 
and  a  setting  room  five  by  six  feet,  which  is  also  used  for 
a  store  room  for  grain,  o^gs,  etc.  This  setting  room  is 
entered  by  another  door,  and  liglitcd  by  a  pane  in  the 
gable  end.  The  nest  boxes  slide  through  the  partition 
into  the  setting  room,  but  tlierc  is  no  access  for  the  fowls, 
except  wlien  sitting.  At  these  times  lions  are  moved,  if 
they  happen  to  be  in  boxes,  against  the  side  building,  and 


POULTRY    HOUSES   FOR   FOUR   VARIETIES. 


91 


made  to  occupy  those  in  the  partition.  The  back  end  of 
the  four-foot  passage  way,  figure  85,  is  used  as  a  feeding 
floor,  and  here  stands  the  water  fountain.     The  use  of 


r— 

E 

-■ i 

DOOR 

W 

\N 

s 

NES  T  BOXES 

1 

\N 

B 

DOOFi 

-wB 

Fig.  85. — VLhS  OF  HEN   HOUSE. 

plaster  on  the  sloping  floor  under  the  roosts  is  excellent. 
Nothing  can  be  better,  but  fine,  dry,  road  dust,  swept  up 
on  a  hot  day  is  very  good. 

POULTRY    HOUSES   FOR   FOUR   VARIETIES. 

To  keep  several  kinds  of  poultry  in  one  building,  but 
in  different  yards,  is  sometimes  troublesome  to  the  inex- 
perienced fancier.  It  is  necessary  to  be  done,  however,  if 
each  variety  is  to  be  kept  pure.  A  method  of  arranging 
a  poultry  house  for  four  varieties,  is  shown  in  figure  86. 
There  is  a  square  yard,  divided  into  four  parts  by  cross- 
fences,  and  a  house  in  the  center,  also  divided  into  four 
apartments.  The  division  and  outer  fences  should  be 
sufficiently  high  to  prevent  the  birds  from  flying  over 
them  ;  pointed  pickets,  nine  feet  high,  would  be  required 
for  the  ligliter  varieties.  Six  feet  would  be  ample  hight 
for  the  heavier  kinds,  as  the  Asiatic  fowls  or  Plymouth 


92 


BARN    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


Eocks.  Doors  and  windows  arc  made  in  each  apartment, 
as  may  be  desirable.  A  passage  way  is  made  from  the 
front  gate  of  the  yard,  which  leads  to  a  central  room,  aa 
shown  in  figure  87.     Around  this  central  room  are  the 


m 


Fig.  86. — ^PLAN  OF  HOUSE  AND  TAKDS. 

nests,  which  are  reached  by  small  doors  opening  into  them. 
Roosts  are  put  up  in  each  apartment,  as  seen  in  figure 
87.  For  the  large  fowls,  low  roosts  should  be  used,  as 
they  cannot  reach  high  ones  Avithout  a  ladder,  and  in 
dropping  from  the  latter  they  are  apt  to  suffer  injury. 
A  roosting  frame  for  some  Light 
Brahmas  is  shown  in  figure  88. 
It  is  made  of  chestnut  strips  two 
inches  sfjuare,  with  the  edges  of 
the  upper  part  rounded  off  some- 
what, to  make  them  easy  to  the 
feet  of  the  fowls.  Three  of  these 
strips  are  fastened  to  frames  made 
(if  tlie  same  material  for  supports. 
Tlie  Avholc  IS  fastened  to  the  wall 
by  rings  fixed  in  staples,  so  that  it  can  be  turned  up 


"~r~n 


Fig.  87.-PLAN  OF   UOOSTS. 


POULTRY    HOUSES   FOR   FOUR   VARIETIES. 


93 


and  held  against  the  wall  by  a  liook.  It  is  twelve  feet 
long,  three  feet  wide,  and  sixteen  inches  from  the  floor. 
This  is  frequently  too  high  for  some  of  the  heaviest  of 


/  /■  W  ^ 

Fig.  88.— LOW  ROOSTS  for  hkavy  fowls. 

the  fowls,  which  have  to  be  provided  with  stools  upon 
which  to  step  up  to  the  perches.  A  poultry  house  suit- 
able for  keeping  several  kinds  separate,  is  shown  in  figure 


Fig.  89.— HOUSE    A>D    y.UlD3   FOR   SEVERAL   BREEDS. 

89.  Originally  this  was  made  for  the  accommodation  of 
a  number  of  dogs,  and  was  described  in  the  "Journal 
d' Agriculture  Pratique,"  of  Paris,  but  it  is  perfectly  well 


94: 


BARN    PLANS    AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


adapted  for  poultry.  Its  peculiarly  French  appearance 
gives  it  a  pieturesqueness  which,  with  many  persons, 
would  rather  add  to  its  attractiveness  than  otherwise,  but 
the  style  of  the  building  may  be  varied  to  suit  any  cir- 
cumstances. It  is  divided  into  a  number  of  apartments, 
each  leading  into  a  yard,  which  is  planted  with  fruit  trees. 
The  yards  radiate  fan-wise  from  the  building,  and  occupy 
a  square  piece  of  ground.  The  apartments  communicate 
with  the  front  of  the  building,  and  a  room  may  be  there 
made  from  which  each  can  be  reached. 


POULTRY  HOUSE   FOR   A    NUMBER   OF   BREEDS. 

The  plan.  Figure  90,  is  of  a  compact  and  convenient 
house  for  small  stocks  of  fancy  and  other  fowls.     The 


Fig.  'JO. — I'OULTKY  HOUSE  FOB  A.  NOMBElt  Oi'  BKJitlDS. 

length  of  tlic  ))uihling  is  forty-five  feet,  and  its  width, 
ten  feet.  It  is  divided  iuto  nine  apartments,  each  five  feet 
wide.  The  house  is  entered  at  one  end,  as  shown  in  the 
figure,  and  a  passage  way  two  feet  wide  extends  through 


POULTRY    HOUSE   FOR   A    NUMBER   OF   BREEDS. 


95 


it  on  the  north  side  ;  see  figure  91.  The  interior  parti- 
tions, including  the  long  one,  are  of  one  and  one-half  by 
one-inch  pine  strips  ;  the  outside  is  entirely  of  one-inch 
hemlock  boards  battened.  The  roof  is  pine  flooring, 
tongued  and  grooved,  and  for  each  apartment  a  three  and 
one-half  by  six-foot  hot-bed  sash  is  set  in  the  roof.  The 
posts  which  support  the  ridge  of  the  roof  are  eight  feet 
long,  the  front  wall  or  side  being  only  two  and  one-half 


gin. 


Qin 


qd: 


..md     ^. 


■idd;:  dd 


ya//i. 

-5f 


....jmd 


is 


45  f  to  otii  er  er/  u  ■ 
Fig.  91.— GROUND  PLAN  OF   THE  PODXTBT  HOUSE. 

feet  to  the  plate.  The  yards  are  much  longer  than  is 
possible  to  show  in  such  a  small  picture  as  figure  90,  and 
are  five  or  ten  feet  wide.  The  paling  surrounding  them  is 
of  one  and  one-half  by  one-inch  strips.  A  brook  nms 
through  the  yards,  affording  an  abundance  of  fresh  water, 
which  is  a  great  source  of  health,  and  of  success  in  rais- 
ing fowls.  The  floor  of  the  house  is  a  dry  gravel  bed, 
covered  with  sand.  The  roosts  are  low,  as  represented  in 
figure  92.  They  are  made  of  round  sticks,  about  two 
inches  in  diameter,  and,  beneath  them,  troughs  of  two 
boards  nailed   together,  catch  all   tlie  droppings.     The 


96 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


nests  and  feeding  boxes  stand  upon  the  sand,  and  arc  fre- 
quently moved  to  prevent  feed  getting  under  them,  or  the 
ground  becoming  moist,  and  affording  a  harbor  for  insects. 
Ventilation  is  secured  by  openings  in  the  short  pitch  of 
the  roof.  No  rafters  are  needed,  as  the  roof  is  sufficiently 
stiffened  by  the  cross-partitions.    The  doors  by  which  the 

different  apartments  are  en- 
tered are  two  feet  wide, 
made  also  of  strips,  and  all 
are  furnished  with  locks, 
so  that  when  the  owner  is 
absent,  the  feed  boxes,  and 
water  vessels,  if  the  fowls 
are  shut  out  of  the  yards, 
may  be  filled  from  the  pas- 
sage way,  and  no  one  can 
interfere  with  either  the 
fowls  or  their  eggs.  A  lock  on  the  outer  door  makes 
all  secure  at  night.  The  slant  of  the  paling  forming  that 
part  of  the  yard  fence  against  the  house  is  given  to  it  in 
order  that  it  shall  not  cut  off  the  sunlight  from  the  win- 
dows. As  the  house  is  arranged  for  nine  varieties,  where 
fewer  are  kept,  two  or  more  apartments  may  be  thrown 
together,  and  thus  larger  flocks  can  be  accommodated. 

POULTRY    FARMING    AND    HILLSIDE    POULTRY    HOUSES. 


Fig.  93. — SECTION  OF  HOUSE. 


The  desire  to  possess  a  thousand  fov/ls  has  allured 
many  men  to  go  into  poultry  farming  as  a  special  busi- 
ness, and  indulge  in  dreams  of  an  easy  and  comfortable 
business  if  not  of  wealth.  It  would  seem  as  though  a 
person  who  could  prolitably  manage  one  small  flock 
of  fowls  could  handle  several,  equally  well,  but  in  reality 
few  persons  manage  a  flock  of  a  hundred  fowls  with  com- 
l)letc  success.  There  are  deatlis,  sickness,  vermin,  losses 
of  eggs,   hidden  nests,  and  the  loss  of  broods,  depreda- 


HILLSIDE    POULTRY    HOUSES.  97 

tions  of  hawks,  owls,  skunks,  or  cats,  and  all  the  other 
ills  from  which  poultry  suffer  by  reason  of  neglect  or 
want  of  skill  in  the  majority  of  small  flocks  ;  hut  because 
of  the  small  value  involved  nothing  is  thought  of  these 
losses.  The  cause  of  the  frequent  failures  is  not  the  im- 
possibility of  succeeding,  but  the  lack  of  sufficient  care, 
skill,  and  patience.  With  these  qualifications,  a  suitable 
locality,  and  a  proper  arrangement  of  buildings,  there  is 
no  reason  why  poultry  keeping  for  eggs  and  chickens 
should  not  be  made  profitable  Avith  the  use  of  a  moderate 
capital.  The  following  is  a  case  in  which  poultry  rais- 
ing has  proved  profitable  so  far  as  carried  on,  and  the 
business  doubtless  might  be  advantageously  enlarged  to 
an  almost  unlimited  extent. 

The  farm  is  a  tract  of  cheap  land,  rough,  hilly,  and 
with  too  many  large  stones  in  the  soil  for  cultivation. 
There  is  some  young,  second  growth  of  timber  upon  the 
hillside,  and  a  spring  comes  out  near  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
Excavations  are  made  in  the  bank  and  log  houses  built 
tlierein,  all  but  the  front  being  covered  with  earth.  The 
houses  are  eighteen  feet  long  by  twelve  wide,  and  about 
six  feet  high  to  the  eaves.  The  roof  is  of  rough  boards, 
and  a  large  ventilator  is  placed  in  the  center  of  it. 
The  arrangement  of  the  houses  is  shown  in  figure  93. 
The  soil,  a  coarse  gravel,  and  very  dry,  is  left  to  form 
the  floors  of  the  houses.  Eoosts  for  one  hundred  fowls, 
and  boxes  for  nests  are  put  in  each  house,  and  in  the 
space  of  twelve  feet  or  thereabouts  left  between  the 
houses,  some  places  are  fitted  for  nests  with  logs  and 
earth.  The  houses  are  whitewashed  inside  and  outside. 
The  water  of  the  spring  is  brought  m  a  half-inch  lead 
pipe  near  to  the  houses  and  runs  into  a  trough.  Two 
hundred  hens  can  be  kept  in  the  two  houses  without  any 
trouble.  They  have  a  range  over  seventy-five  acres  of 
ground,  which  is  only  partly  in  a  poor  sod,  the  rest  I)eing 
gravel  or  sand  with  a  plentiful  growth  of  blackberries 
5 


98 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


aud  dewberries.  Corn,  barley,  oats,  and  wheat  screen- 
ings are  used  for  food,  and  the  young  man  who  owns  and 
runs  the  farm  is  Avell  satisfied  that  he  can  add  more 
houses  year  by  year  until  his  hillside  is  fully  occupied, 
and  still  succeed.  The  warmth  of  the  underground  houses 
keeps  the  hens  laying  through  a  greater  part  of  the  win- 
ter when  eggs  sell  at  a  high  price.     K  some  such  plan  as 


Fig.  93. — HILL  SIDE  POUL  1  i 

this  were  followed  upon  a  piece  of  cheap  land  near  a  vil- 
lage or  city,  which  would  furnish  a  market  for  fresh  eggs 
in  the  winter,  at  not  less  than  twenty-five  cents  a  dozen, 
and  for  early  chickens  at  twenty-five  cents  a  pound, 
with  proper  care,  close  attention,  a  Avatchful  eye,  and 
quiet  patience  Avith  the  wayward  flock — a  reasonable 
profit  might  be  made  out  of  a  small  investment. 


DTJCKS  AXD   DUCK    HOUSES. 
DUCKS  AND   DUCK  HOUSES. 


99 


There  is  a  satisfactory  profit  in  raising  ducks  ;  but  the 
conditions  must  be  favorable,  and  these  inchide  a  water- 
run,  either  a  stream  or  pond,  in  which  the  ducks  can 
gather  food,  and  a  house  conveniently  arranged  for  se- 
curing the  eggs.  A  house  may  be  made  for  them  on  the 
bank  of  a  pond  adjoining  a  brook  in  which  there  are 


Fig.  94. — VIEW  OF   A  CONVENIENT  DDCE  HOUSE. 

abundance  of  water  cresses  and  other  food,  both  vegeta- 
ble and  animal.  The  water  cress  is  eaten  with  avidity  by 
ducks,  and  has  myriads  of  snails  and  other  water  animals 
upon  it.  A  plan  of  a  house  is  shown  in  figures  94  and  95. 
For  fifty  to  one  hundred  ducks  it  should  be  thirty  feet 
long,  twelve  feet  high,  and  from  four  feet  high  at  the 
front  to  six  or  eight  feet  in  the  rear.  Entrance  doors  are 
made  in  the  front,  which  should  have  a  few  small  wm- 
dows.  At  the  rear  are  the  nests  ;  these  are  boxes  open  at 
the  front.     Behind  each  nest  is  a  small  door  throusfh 


100  BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

■which  the  eggs  may  be  taken.  It  is  necessary  to  keep  the 
ducks  shut  up  in  the  morning  until  they  have  laid  their 
eggs  ;  a  strip  of  wire  netting  will  be  required  to  enclose 
a  narrow  yard  in  front  of  the  house.     Twine  netting 


95.— GROUND   PLAN   OF   THE   HOUSE. 


should  not  be  used,  as  the  ducks  put  their  heads  through 
the  meshes  and  twist  the  twine  about  their  necks,  often 
so  effectively  as  to  strangle  themselves. 

WINTER   CARE    OF    FOWLS. 

All  varieties  of  barn-door  fowls  are  more  or  less  tender  ; 
they  freeze  their  combs  and  feet,  and  if  not  in  sound 
health,  often  freeze  to  death.  In  severe  weather  all  their 
natural  forcesarcdirected  towards  keeping  warm  ;  growth 
is  arrested,  egg  laying  and  fattening  cease,  and  of  course 
the  profit  of  keeping  hens  is  at  an  end,  so  long  as  severe 
Aveather  lasts — if  we  do  not  give  sufficient  protection. 

As  cold  weather  comes  on,  comfortable  quarters  ought 
to  be  prepared  for  fowls.  The  old  houses,  if,  as  is  usually 
the  case,  they  are  only  frames  boarded  on  the  outside, 
should  be  latlied  and  plastered,  or  lined  with  matched 
boards,  and  the  s])aces  filled  with  planing-mill  shavings, 
sawdust,  swamp  hay,  or  some  similar  substance.  The 
floor  should  be  covered  with  several  inches  of  dry  sand, 
and  the  ventilating  holes  near  the  roof  partly  sto}>ped,  or 
shutters  arranged  so  as  to  close  most  of  them  in  very 
cold  weather.     Nothing  is  more  important  to  the  health 


WINTER   CARE   OF   FOWLS. 


101 


of  fowls  than  pure  air.  Birds  breathe  with  great  rapidity, 
and  maintain  a  corresponding  degree  of  hctit  in  their 
bodies  ;  hence  they  vitiate  great  quantities  of  air. 

"When  eggs  are  high,  it  will  pay  to  take  some  pains  to 
have  a  jilenty.  They  usually  may  be  secured  by  hav- 
ing the  hens  in  warm  quarters,  but  in  unheated  houses 
three  or  four  very  cold  days  and  nights  will  so  chill  the 
fowls  that  but  few  if  any  eggs  will  be  laid  for  a  week  or 
two.  This  may  be  entirely  obviated  by  having  a  stove  in 
the  chicken  house,  in  which  fire  is  made  on  very  cold 
nights.  Figure  96  shows  the  ground  plan  of  a  fowl  house, 
in  size  twenty  by  twelve  feet,  divided  by  a  lattice  work 
partition  into  two  rooms,  twelve  by  fourteen  and  six  by 


Fig.  96.— PLAN  OF  FOWL  HOUSE. 

twelve  feet.  The  plan  supposes  two  large  windows  on 
the  south,  roosts  on  the  east,  a  feeding  floor  under  the 
windows,  and  nest  boxes  on  the  north  side.  The  little 
room  is  for  entrance,  store  room,  fire  room,  and  hatching 
apartment  for  very  early  chickens.  A  pit  to  contain  a 
small  stove  is  dug  three  by  four  by  four  feet,  and  entered 
by  three  steps.  The  pipe  is  of  common  glazed  drain  tiles, 
and  passes  underground  nearly  to  the  floor  beneath  the 
roosts,  and  then  up,  as  shown  in  figure  97.  This  pipe  is 
covered  with  about  a  foot  of  dry  sand,  and  the  warmth 
is  diffused  into  the  sand  on  all  sides.  It  is  important 
that  there  should  be  no  moisture  in  the  soil  or  sand  which 
forms  the  floor  of  the  house,  and   it  would  be  well  to 


103 


BAllN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


cement  the  floor  and  the  trench  in  which  the  j^ipe  is  laid. 
But,  though  the  ground  around  the  sides  of  the  house 
may  freeze,  and  so  be  made  moist  and  muddy  by  an  un- 
derground fire,  yet  such  an  arrangement  of  floors  as  we 
have  indicated  would  jDrevent  any  difficulty  from  this 
source.  The  object  of  placing  the  stove  underground  is 
to  have  a  difl'used  warmth,  lasting  long  after  the  fire  goes 
out.     A  mass  of  moderately  heated  sand  remains  warm  a 


■wg. 


Fiir.  '.1^ 


-SECTION    OF    FOWL   HOUSE. 


very  long  time,  and  diffuses  a  mild  and  agreeable  warmth. 
Tlie  same  end  maybe  accomplished  by  a  brick  stove,  or 
any  stove  enclosed  in  a  double  wall  and  arch  of  bricks. 


STOYE   FOR   A    POULTRY  HOUSE. 

A  simple  and  safe  method  of  warming  a  poultry  house 
in  winter  is  as  follows  :  With  a  few  bricks  and  common 
mortar,  build  up  a  wall  in  the  shape  of  an  oblong  rec- 
tangle, twice  as  long  as  it  is  wide,  leaving  an  ojien  space 
in  the  front  about  a  foot  wide  and  the  same  in  hight. 
Lay  upon  this  wall,  when  eighteen  inches  high,  a  i>ieco 
of  sheet-iron  so  as  to  cover  the  space  within  the  wall  ex- 
cept about  six  inches  at  the  further  end.  Build  uji  the 
wall  over  the  iron  another  foot,  and  then  build  in  anitther 


STOVE   FOR   A    POULTRY    HOUSE. 


103 


sheet  of  iron,  covering  the  space  enclosed  all  but  a  few- 
inches  at  the  front.  Then  turn  an  arch  over  the  top, 
and  leave  a  hole  at  the  end  for  a  stove  pipe.  The  stove 
thus  made  will  appear  as  in  figure  98,  and  a  section  of  it 
as  in  figure  99.  A  small  fire  made  in  the  bottom  at  the 
front  will  heat  this  stove  very  moderately ;  the  heat 
passing  back  and  forth,  as  shown  by  the  arrows,  will 
warm  the  whole  just  sufficient  to  make  the  fowls  com- 


9y. — SECTION. 


fortable,  and  there  will  be  no  danger  of  injury  to  their 
feet  by  flying  upon  the  top,  as  it  will  never  be  hot  if 
only  a  moderate  fire  is  kept.  The  stove  will  be  perfectly 
safe,  and  may  be  closed  by  a  few  loose  bricks  laid  up  in 
front,  through  which  sufficient  air  will  pass  to  keep  the 
fire  slowly  burning.  Ordinarily  a  fire  need  be  made  at 
night  only  during  the  coldest  weather. 


104  BAEX    PLxiNS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PIGGERIES, 

Because  swine  are  blessed  with  keen  appetites,  strong 
digestion,  and  liardy  constitutions  capable  of  resisting  a 
great  amount  of  neglect  and  ill-usage,  they  have  been,  and 
in  too  many  instances  are  yet,  the  worst  used  animals  kept 
for  the  profit  of  man.  And,  as  if  to  add  to  the  abuse, 
their  endeavors  to  make  the  best  of  ill-treatment,  have  been 
charged  to  the  account  of  their  natural  uncleanliness  ;  and 
the  idea  that  wholesome  meat  can  not  be  made  by  feeding 
animals  with  garbage,  has"  caused  pork  to  become  the  hor- 
ror of  dietetic  reformers,  who  pronounce  it  unfit  for 
human  food.  It  were  as  wise  to  condemn  the  use  of  milk, 
and  to  pronounce  cows  unfit  for  civilized  communities, 
because  some  individuals  persist  in  confining  them  in  filthy 
stables,  and  dosing  them  with  distillery  slops.  In  his 
native  state,  the  hog  is  as  dainty  in  his  taste  as  other 
animals,  and  his  lair  is  found  in  a  dry  situation,  well 
cushioned  with  clean  leaves,  unsoiled  by  any  neglect  of 
his  own.  It  would  be  within  the  mark  to  say  that  in 
most  instances,  twenty  per  cent  of  saving  can  be  effected 
in  food,  and  in  additions  to  the  manure  heap,  by  a  well 
regulated  building  for  the  accommodation  of  swine. 

PLAN   OF  A   riGGERY. 

Figure  100  represents  the  elevation  of  a  piggery.  The 
main  building  is  twenty-two  by  fifty  feet,  and  the  wing 
twelve  by  sixteen  feet.  It  is  supplied  with  light  and  air 
by  windows  in  front,  ventilators  on  the  roof,  and  by  hang- 
ing doors  or  shutters  in  the  u})per  part  of  the  siding  at 
the  rear  of  each  stall  or  apartment.  These  last  arc  not 
seen  in  the  engraving. 


PLAN'   OF  A   P[GGERT. 


05 


JOG 


IBAK^r    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


Figure  101  shows  the  ground  plan.  The  main  building 
has  a  hall,  H,  six  feet  wide,  running  the  entire  length. 
This  is  for  convenience  of  feeding,  and  for  hanging  dressed 
hogs  at  the  time  of  slaughtering.  The  remainder  of  the 
space  is  divided  by  partitions  into  apartments  A,  B,  for 
the  feeding  and  sleeping  accommodation  of  the  porkers  ; 
these  are  each  eight  by  sixteen  feet.     The  rear  division  of 


K- 


D     D 


^ 


\ 


V 


\' 


Fig.  101. — GROUND  PLAN  OF  PIGGERY. 

the  apartments,  B,  B,  are  intended  for  the  manure  yards. 
Each  division  has  a  door,  D,  D,  to  facilitate  the  removal 
of  manure,  and  also  to  alloAv  ingress  to  the  swine  when 
introduced  to  the  pen.  The  iloors  of  each  two  adjoining 
divisions  are  inclined  toward  each  other,  so  that  the  litjuid 
excrement  and  other  filth  may  flow  to  the  side  where  the 
opening  to  the  l)ack  apartment  is  situated.  Two  troughs, 
S,  T,  are  placed  in  each  feeding  room.  'I'hat  in  the  front, 
S,  is  for  food,  T,  for  clear  water,  a  full  sujiply  of  which  is 


PLAN    OF   A    PIGGERY. 


107 


always  allowed.  This  is  an  important  item,  generally 
overlooked ;  much  of  the  food  of  swine  induces  thirst, 
and  the  free  use  of  water  is  favorable  to  the  deposition 
of  fat. 

The  wing,  W,  is  twelve  by  sixteen  feet.  This  answers 
for  a  slaughtering  room.  In  one  corner,  adjoining  the 
main  hall,  is  a  well  and  pump,  P,  from  which,  by  means 
of  a  hose,  water  is  conveyed  to  the  troughs.  At  the  oppo- 
site corner.  A",  is  a  large  iron  kettle,  set  in  an  arch,  for 
cooking  food,  and  for  scalding  the  slaughtered  swine.  In 
many  localities  it  would  be  a  desirable  addition  to  have 


Fig.  103. — FRONT  PAKTITION  OP  PIGGERY. 

this  wing  built  two  stories  high,  the  upper  part  to  be  used 
for  storing  grain  for  the  hogs.  A  cellar  also  should  be 
made  underneath  the  piggery  for  receiving  roots. 

An  excellent  arrangement,  shown  in  figure  102,  is  adapted 
to  facilitate  the  cleaning  of  the  troughs,  and  the  trans- 
ferring of  the  hogs  to  the  main  hall  at  slaughtering. 
The  front  partition  of  each  apartment,  F,  is  made  sepa- 
rate, and  hung  so  as  to  be  swung  back  and  fastened  over 
the  inside  of  the  trough,  T,  at  feeding  time,  or  when 
cleaning  the  trough.  It  may  also  be  lifted  as  high  as  the 
top  of  the  side  partition,  II,  when  it  is  desired  to  take 
the  hogs  to  the  dressing  table.  Triangular  pieces,  F,  E, 
are  spiked  to  each  front  partition,  and  swing  with  it, 
forming  stalls  to  prevent  their  crowding  while  feeding. 


108 


BAEN    PLANS    AND    OUTULILDINGS. 


These  pieces  are  supported,  when  the  apartment  is  closed, 
by  notches  in  the  inner  edge  of  tlie  trough,  made  to  re- 
ceive them. 


A   CONVENIENT  FARM   PIGPEN. 

Herewith  are  given  the  plans  and  a  side  view  of  a 
convenient  pigpen,  recently  constructed  upon  the  farm 
of  Colonel  F.  D.  Curtis,  of  Charlton,  Saratoga  Co., 
N.  Y.  The  building,  shown  complete  in  figures  103  and 
104,  is  forty-eight  feet  long,  twenty-two  feet  wide,  and 
twelve  feet  high.  There  is  an  upper  floor  over  the  pens, 
which  is  used  as  a  store  room  for  meal,  corn,  etc.,  and  a 


MM' 


I   M   ,  I   M 


^^I^FF^^ill  I  I  i\^$$$~\ 


W 


Fig.  103.— SIDE   VIEW  OF  MB.    CLHTIS'    PIGPEN. 

cellar  beneath,  used  for  storage  of  roots,  and  for  cook- 
ing and  preparing  food.  There  is  a  cistern  in  the  cellar, 
into  which  the  water  from  the  roof  is  collected,  and  a 
pump,  by  winch  the  water  may  be  run  into  the  feed  kettle, 
or  to  the  pens  above.  The  arrangements  are  made  with 
a  view  to  the  convenient  handling  and  feeding  of  the 
stock,  as  well  as  to  most  perfect  sanitary  conditions.  The 
building  is  warm  enough  to  prevent  freezing  in  the  cold- 
est winter  weather,  so  that  young  pigs,  if  desired,  may 
be  reared  without  difficulty,  even  during  winter.  The 
outer  and  inner  Avails,  and  the  floor  of  the  upper  room, 
are  all  of  matched  boards.    The  floor  of  the  pens  is  double, 


A   CONVENIENT  FARM    I'IGPEN. 


lO'J 


110 


BAKN    PLANS   AXD    OUTBUILDINGS. 


there  being  first  a  floor  of  hemlock  boards,  with  matched 
joints,  put  together  "with  hot  pitch.  The  whole  of 
this   floor  is  thoroughly  coated  with  hot  coal  tar,  and 


Fig.  105.— PLAN  OF  CELLAR  OF  PIGPEN. 


a  second  floor  of  one  and  one-half-inch  hemlock  plank, 
with  matched  joints,  also  filled  with  tar,  is  finally  laid 
down.  This  gives  a  floor  that  is  not  only  very  durable, 
clean,  and  wholesome,  but  it  is  perfectly  water-proof,  and 
prevents  any  drip  of  moisture  into  the  cellar.  The  cellar 
floor  is  shown  in  figure  105.     At  R,  R,  are  bins  for  roots. 


z_x 


1 


rcr 


~rr 


■73- 


z_r 


■zx 


V2L 


Fig.  106.— n.AN   OF   MAIN   FLOOR   OF   PIOTF-N. 

The  roots  are  unloaded  into  the  l)ins  througli  the  cellar 
Avindows,  by  means  of  sjiouts  which  direct  (lieminto  the 
bins  below.  At  F  is  the  feed  box  ;  at  T,  T,  feed  tubs 
for  mixing  feed  ;  at  C,  the  cistern  ;  P,  the  pump  ;  K,  the 
kettle,  set  in  brick,  with  chimney  belmid  it.    At  B  is  a 


3IR.    CKOZIER  S   PIGPENS. 


Ill 


spout,  also  seen  in  figure  lOG,  by  which  meal  is  dropped 
from  tlie  upper  floor  to  the  feed  box,  the  kettle,  or  the 
feed  tubs ;  at  C  is  the  root  cutter.  The  whole  of  the 
cellar  floor  is  covered  with  cement.  The  main  floor  is 
shown  at  figure  106.  The  pens  are  seen  arranged  on  one 
side.  Each  one  is  provided  with  a  fender,  F,  for  the  pro- 
tection of  young  pigs  against  being  overlaid  by  the  sows, 
and  a  cast  iron  feed  trough,  having  a  spout  which  projects 
through  the  front,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  feed  into 
the  trough.  At  if  is  a  hatchway  for  hoisting  meal  or 
corn  into  the  room  above,  ^  is  a  spout  to  bring  feed 
from  above.  This  building  has  been  found  very  con- 
venient in  use,  and  it  is  so  arranged  that  it  may  be  ex- 
tended, if  desired,  to  accommodate  a  larger  number  of 
animals. 

MR.    CROZIER'S   pigpens. 


Mr.  Wm.  Crozier,  of  Beacon  Stock  Farm,  Northport, 
L.  I. ,  has  a  long  range  of  pigpens.     The  elevation,  figure 


Fig.  107. — FRONT  VIEW  OF  PIGGERY. 

107,  the  ground  plan,  figure  108,  and  a  view  of  the  interior 
of  the  building,  figure  109,  show  the  simple  arrangement. 
The  building  is  placed  against  a  bank,  which  has  a  brick 


112 


BAUX    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


retaining  wall  that  answers  as  the  rear  wall  of  the  build- 
ing, and  is  nine  feet  high.  The  building  is  sixteen  feet 
wide,  with  the  front  side  six  and  one-half  feet  high.  The 
pens,  see  figure  108,  are  ten  by  twelve  feet,  and  three  feet 


Fig.  108. — PLAN  OF   PIGGEBY, 

high,  with  a  four-foot  walk  at  the  rear  of  them.  The 
doors,  of  which  each  pen  has  one  opening  into  the  yard, 
are  in  halves.  The  upper  half  may  be  left  open  to  admit 
light  and  air,  while  the  lower  half  is  kept  closed,  if  it  is 


Fisr.  100.— iNTERiou  of  ri 


desired,  to  prevent  egress.  At  one  end  of  the  building  is 
a  room  furnished  witli  apparatus  for  steaming  food.  The 
feeding  is  done  from  the  walk,  the  food  being  placed  in 
small  portable  troughs,  which  can  be  readily  cleaned. 


A   COMFORTABLE   PIGPEN. 


113 


A   COMFORTABLE   PIGPEN. 

The  plan,  figure  110,  combines  the  requisites,  Avith 
many  of  the  conveniences,  of  a  desirable  pigpen.  The 
engraving  shows  one  complete  pen  Avith  its  divisions.  A 
row  of  these  pens  may  be  built  as  a  long  shed,  and  the 
description  of  one  will  ansAver  for  all.  The  pen  is  twenty 
feet  long  from  front  to  rear,  by  eight  feet  wide.  The 
posts  at  the  front  are  ten  feet  high,  and  at  the  rear  seven 
feet.  A  feed-passage  runs  along  the  front  of  the  pens, 
shown  at  a.     The  feeding  and  sleeping  apartment  is 


Fig.  110.— PLAN  OF  PIGPEN. 

shown  at  h.  At  c  is  a  passage  Avhich  also  runs  along  the 
w^hole  building,  but  which,  Avhen  closed  by  the  doors,  d, 
makes  the  passage  a  part  of  the  yard,  d.  The  feed  pas- 
sage, a,  is  three  feet  wide.  The  feeding  place,  h,  is  ten 
feet  deep  by  eight  feet  in  Avidth  ;  the  passage,  c,  is  three 
feet  Avide,  and  the  yard,  d,  four  feet,  making  the  whole 
space  of  the  yard  seven  by  eight  feet  Avhen  the  passage  is 
closed.  When  the  passage  is  opened  the  door,  d,  closes 
the  opening  from  the  yard  into  the  feeding  place,  and  the 
occupants  of  the  pens  are  shut  up.  Any  pig  that  may 
liave  to  be  moved  from  one  pen  to  another  can  then  be 


114  BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

driven  without  any  difficulty  •wherever  it  may  be  desired. 
A  swinging  door  in  the  rear  may  be  made  to  allow  the 
pigs  to  pass  in  or  out  of  the  barn  yard  or  the  pasture,  if 
one  is  provided  for  them.  But  generally  it  will  be  found 
better  to  have  the  pens  built  upon  one  side  of  the  barn 
yard,  so  that  the  pigs  may  be  used  to  work  up  any  mate- 
rials for  manure  or  compost  that  may  be  at  hand  for  the 
purpose.  The  floor  of  the  pen  should  be,  in  part  at 
least,  of  plank ;  that  of  the  yard  may  be  of  pavement, 
of  cobble-stone,  or  of  cement,  but  should  be  so  laid  that 
it  can  not  be  torn  up.  A  tight  roof  should  cover  the 
whole,  and  sliding  windows  at  the  rear  and  front  will 
provide  good  ventilation.  This  is  very  important  for 
the  comfort  of  the  animals  in  hot  weather.  The  floor  of 
the  pens  should  slope  backwards  at  least  two  inches  in  ten 
feet,  and  the  yards  ought  to  be  well  drained.  A  bar  is 
fixed  around  the  bottom  of  the  pen,  about  six  inches 
above  the  floor,  and  projects  about  six  inches  from  the 
side,  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the  3'oung  pigs  from 
being  overlaid  by  the  sow  and  smotliered.  A  large  quan- 
tity of  waste  material  may  be  worked  up  in  these  yards, 
and  will  add  much  to  the  comfort  and  cleanliness  of  the 
pigs.  The  framework  of  these  pens  should  be  of  six  by 
six  timber  for  the  sills,  four  by  four  for  the  posts,  and 
two  by  four  for  the  girts  and  tops  and  bottoms  of  the  par- 
titions. The  whole  quantity  of  lumber  needed  for  one 
complete  pen  would  be  one  thousand  two  hundred  feet, 
consisting  of  eighty  linear  feet  of  six  by  six  timber, 
sixty-one  linear  feet  of  four  by  four  posting,  and  seventy- 
seven  linear  feet  of  two  by  four  scantling,  one  hundred 
and  four  feet  surface  of  two-inch  j)lank,  and  five  liundrcd 
feet  of  boards  if  the  roof  is  of  shingles.  A  row  of  ten 
of  these  pens,  making  a  building  eighty  feet  long,  able 
to  accommodate  fifty  or  sixty  pigs,  would  cost  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars   completed. 


PENS  AND   YARDS   FOR  HOGS. 


115 


PENS  AND  YARDS  FOR  ONE   HUNDRED   AND   FIFTY  HOGS. 


The  pens  are  built  in  a  range  on  each  side  of  a  central 
feed  house,  shown  in  the  corner  of  figure  111.  This  house 
is  a  two-story  building.  In  the  upper  part  feed  is  stored, 
to  be  cooked  or  prepared  on  the  lower  floor.  A  stairway 
in  one  corner  loads  to  the  upper  story.  Opposite  to  the 
stairs,  and  at  the  right  of  the  doorway,  is  a  pump  con- 
nected with  a  cistern  which  receives  all  the  flow  from  the 


Fig.  111. — PLAN  OF  PIGPENS. 

roof.  The  water  is  shed  from  the  rear  of  the  roof,  so  that 
none  escapes  into  the  yard.  A  hose  is  connected  with  the 
pump,  which  serves  to  convey  water  into  the  feed  troughs 
in  both  wings  of  the  pens,  for  cleansing  them  and  to 
supply  the  animals  with  drinking  water.  Opposite  the 
pump  IS  the  boiler  or  the  mixing  vat.  As  a  boiler  will  be 
found  indispensable  at  times,  one  should  be  provided  at 
the  outset,  as  it  may  be  used  for  soaking  or  otherwise 
preparing  food  when  not  needed  for  heating  piirpo^^cs.  A 
passage  way  leads  on  either  hand  from   the  feed  room 


116 


BARN    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


down  the  row  of  pens.  Tlie  arrangement  of  the  pens 
is  illustrated  in  figure  112  ;  the  passage  way  is  at  a,  the 
feed  trough  with  spout  at  b.  The  troughs  are  protected  by 
cross  strips  fastened  from  the  partition  wall  to  the  edge 
of  each,  as  shown  by  the  dotted  lines,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  hogs  from  Iving  in  them.  At  c  is  a  sliding  door,  by 
which  access  can  be  gained  from  pen  to  pen  all  through 
the  range  when  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  changing  or 
otherwise  managing  the  occupants  ;  at  (^  is  a  slatted  ven- 
tilator fixed  in  the  wall  over  each  door,  also  shown  in  fig- 
ure 114.  The  yard  and  pens  shown  in  the  left-hand  lower 
corner  of  figure  111  are  for  brood  sows  with  pigs,  which  are 


Fig.  112.— SECTION  OF  PEN. 


Fig.  113.— SAFEGUABDS. 


kept  separate  from  the  rest  of  the  herd.  The  pens  are 
arranged  as  the  others,  with  the  addition  of  safeguards 
for  the  young  pigs  placed  around  the  walls,  about  eight 
inches  above  the  floor  and  six  inches  from  it,  and  attached 
to  it  by  means  of  iron  straps,  see  figure  113.  These  are 
to  prevent  the  pigs  from  being  crushed  by  the  sows  when 
they  lie  down,  as  is  often  the  case  when  no  protection  is 
furnished.  At  figure  114  is  seen  the  elevation  of  one 
wing  of  the  range  with  the  feed  house.  The  shed  is 
made  from  twelve  to  sixteen  feet  wide,  twelve  feet  high  in 
front  and  eight  feet  in  the  rear.  Each  pen  should  be  at 
least  eight  feet  wide,  which  would  give  from  sixty  to  one 
hundred  square  feet,  accommodating  five  or  six  })igs. 
Sheds  one  hundred  feet  long,  with  yards  covering  the  in- 
cluded ground,  would  give  room  for  a  herd  of  one  hun- 


PENS   AND   YARDS   FOR   HOGS. 


117 


dred  and  fifty  pigs.  The  front  doors  of  the  pens  are  made 
double,  shutting  against  each  second  post,  and  opening 
from  each  other.  One  fastening  answers  for  all  the  four 
doors  ;  this  consists  of  a  semi-circular  piece  of  hard-wood 
plank,  which  turns  on  a  bolt.  When  at  rest  it  falls  so  as 
to  fasten  the  four  doors,  and  can  be  turned  right  or  left 
in  an  instant  to  open  either  pair.  This  sliould  be  secured 
firmly  with  a  strong  bolt  having  a  large  head.  The  floors 
of  the  pens  may  l)e  made  of  hydraulic  lime  concrete, 
thoroughly  saturated  with  gas  tar.     Such  a  floor  is  al- 


gj-FJ-pffliiiffl 


Fig.  114. — EXTERIOR  VIEW  OF  PENS. 

ways  dry,  clean,  and  perfectly  impenetrable  either  by- 
vermin  or  by  the  swine.  An  occasional  dressing  of  hot 
gas  tar  will  keep  lice  and  fleas  at  a  distance,  and  thus 
promote  the  health  and  growth  of  the  herd.  Another 
method  of  making  the  floor,  is  to  use  double  hemlock 
plank,  laid  so  as  to  break  joints,  and  saturated  with  hot  gas 
tar.  This  is  water  and  vermin  proof,  and  also  saves  all  the 
liquid  manure.  To  do  this  most  effectively,  the  floor  is 
sloped  for  two  or  three  inches,and  a  slightly  hollowed  gutter 
conveys  the  drainage  into  the  outer  yard,  which  should  be 
paved  with  cobble-stone  or  cemented,  if  possible,  or  other- 
wise well  bedded  with  litter  or  other  absorbents.  The 
best  absorbent  is  dry  swamp  muck  ;  when  this  can  not  be 
provided,  hard-wood  sawdust,  sand,  dry  earth,  or  litter 
from  the  stables,  may  be  kept  in  the  yard.  This  should 
be  turned  over  and  well  mixed. 


118 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 
A  PORTABLE   PIGPEN. 


Where  a  single  family  pig  is  kept,  provision  for  chang- 
ing the  locality  of  the  pen  is  often  necessary.  It  may 
be  placed  in  the  garden,  at  the  time  when  there  are  waste 


Fig.  115. — A  PORTABLE  PIGPEN, 

vegetables  to  be  disposed  of,  or  it  may  be  penned  in  a 
grass  lot.  A  portable  pen,  with  an  open  yard  attached  is 
seen  in  the  accompanying  illustrations.  Figure  115  pre- 
sents the  pen,  the  engraving  showing  it  so  clearly  that  no 
description  is  needed.  The  yard,  seen  in  figure  116,  is 
placed  with  the  open  space  next  to  the  door  of  the  pen, 
so  that  the  pig  can  go  in  and  out  freely.     The  yard  is  at- 


116. — YARD  TO  PORTABLE  PIcrr^N. 


tached  to  tlie  pen  by  hooks  and  sta]>los,  and  both  of  thorn 
arc  provided  with  liandles,  by  which  they  can  be  lifted 
and  carried  from  place  to  place.  Both  tlie  yard  and  pen 
sbould  be  floored  to  prevent  the  pig  from  tearing  up  the 


PIGPEX,  HEN  HOUSE,  AXD  CORX  CRIB  COMBINED.    119 

ground.    The  floors  sbould  be  raised  a  tew  inches  from 
the  ground,  that  they  may  be  kept  dry  and  made  durable. 


PIGPEX,  HEX  HOUSE,  AXD  CORN  CRIB  COMBIXED. 

The  accompanying  engravings  present  plans  for  erect- 
ing in  a  hillside,  under  one  roof,  the  three  important 
farm  buildings  named  above. 

The  pigpen  shown  in  front  view,  figure  117,  is  construct- 
ed of  stout  framing,  and  where  it  comes  in  contact  with 


-FEONT  VIEW  OF  PIGPEN,   ETC, 

the  hillside,  is  protected  by  dry  stone  walls.  The  roof  of ' 
the  sleeping  room,  B,  figure  118,  forms  the  floor  of  the 
hen  house,  G.  To  prevent  the  dirt  from  one  room  being 
thrown  into  the  other,  the  door  of  communication  be- 
tween them  is  raised  six  inches  from  the  floor,  and  an  in- 
clined plane  with  a  cleat  is  placed  on  either  side  to  make 
it  easy  of  ingress  and  egress.     The  feeding  room.  A,  is 


120 


bar:s^  plans  and  outbuildings. 


protected  from  the  weather  by  tlie  corn-loft  floor  and  the 
overhanging  eaves.  The  hen  house  is  situated  immedi- 
ately over  the  sleeiiing  room  of  the  pigpen.  It  is  ventila- 
ted by  a  wire-sash  window  at  H,  and  provided  with  perches 
eighteen  inches  from  the  floor  at  the  lowest  point,  and 
nest  boxes  on  two  sides,  which  are  reached  by  doors  on 
the  outside,  each  door  being  a  hinged  plank  the  entire 
width  of   the  building.     By  this  ai'rangement  of   the 


5^^ 


Flff.  118.— SECTIONAL  VIEW   OP   BCILDrSG. 

nests,  the  room  need  not  be  entered  in  quest  of  eggs. 
The  roof  of  the  hen  house  forms  an  angle  of  about  forty 
degrees  ;  this  being  also  the  floor  of  the  rear  of  the  corn 
crib,  it  aids  by  its  slope  in  readily  filling  the  crib.  The 
corn  crib  is  approached  at  the  rear  where  a  slatted  door, 
corresponding  with  the  large  slatted  front  window,  give 
sufticient  ventilation  for  the  corn.  At  F  is  the  platform 
from  which  to  till  the  crib.  Tlie  building  is  ten  feet  wide 
by  fifteen  feet  in  length,  but  may  be  made  larger  if  desired. 


A    PIGPEN    AND   TOOL    HOUSE. 
A  PIGPEN  AND  TOOL  HOUSE. 


131 


A  pigpen  with  the  upper  part  arranged  for  the  storage 
of  small  tools,  seed  sowers,  and  cultivators,  is  here  given. 
The  upper  floor,  seven  feet  high,  is  open  over  the  passage 


Fig.  119. — END   AND   SECTIONAL  VIEW. 

as  shown  in  figure  119,  which  is  a  section  of  the  in- 
side of  the  building ;  there  is  a  stairway  provided  at 
the  end  of  the  passage.  The  larger  tools  are  taken  up 
through  a  door  at  the  end  of  the  building.  The  pen 
itself  has  some  conveniences  which  may  be  mentioned. 
The  plan  of  it  is  given  in  figure  120.  The  pens  are  ar- 
ranged on  one  side  of  the  passage,  with  doors  opening 


b 

h 

..     1 

rn  /  * 

'     \    -'r^ 

y"  >M':'Vtl 

'      1       ct!       '  y    1 

llllillllL.'' 

,...-' 

,  --' 

-'    1 

Fig.  120.— THE  GROUND  PLAN. 

into  it,  so  as  to  reach  across  and  close  it  when  necessary. 
It  is  thus  easy  to  get  access  to  each  separate  pen  or  from 
one  to  another.  The  doors  swing  both  ways,  either  into 
the  passage  or  into  the  pen  as  showu  at  a ;  swinging 
doors,  at  b,  b,  give  access  to  the  yards. 
6 


132 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


A   CHEAP  PIGPEN. 


The  plan  here  presented  is  of  a  convenient  pigpen  that 
will  cost  less  than  twenty-five  dollars,  exclusive  of  labor. 
Nine  posts  of  cedar  or  chestnut  are  set  one  foot  in  the 
ground,  and  project  as  far  above  the  surface.  They  are  ar- 
ranged as  in  figure  121.  Four  by  four-inch  sills  are  laid 
upon  the  posts,  with  a  cross  sill  in 
the  center,  and  halved  together  at 
the  joints.  No  wall  posts  are  used, 
the  stout  boarding  being  made  to 
serve  the  purpose.  The  structure 
is  eight  feet  each  way,  or  can  be 
made  when  built  to  suit  the  ordi- 
nary length  of  boards.  To  put  up 
the  walls  begin  at  the  bottom,  fast- 
ening on  the  corner  boards  first,  and 
nailing  their  edges  firmly  together.  Two  by  four-inch 
strips  serve  as  plates.  Two  by  six-inch  floor  beams  are 
laid  upon  the  sills,  sixteen  inches  apart,  and  the  floor 
upon  these.  Two  by  four-inch  rafters  are  placed  four 
feet  apart,  upon  which  three  twelve-inch  boards  are  laid, 
one  at  the  peak,  one  at  the  eaves,  and  one  between  these 


1     1     1 
0/ 

d 

> 

( 

•              ( 

, 

c 

iiiiii-riTn 

9        1 ■    1 

Fig.  121. — PLAN  OF  PIG- 
PEN. 


Fig.  122. — ^VIEW   OF   PIGPEN. 

two.  The  roof  boards  proper,  eiglit  feet  long,  are  put  on 
lengthwise  of  the  rafters,  and  battened.  Spaces  for  the 
doors  and  windows  should  be  left  or  cut  in  the  boards  as 


SELF-CLOSING   DOOR   FOR   PIGPEX. 


123 


ihoy  are  nailed  on.  There  should  be  two  small  windows, 
placed  as  thought  most  desirable.  The  interior  division 
should  be  as  shown  in  fig.  121.  The  feeding  place  is  at  a, 
in  which  is  a  trough,  with  a  slo^jing board  in  the  passage, 
c,  by  which  to  pour  in  the  slop,  A  sleeping  room  is  at 
T),  the  partitions  of  which  should  be  four  feet  high.  A 
few  loose  boards  will  be  required  for  a  floor  in  the  loft  to 
make  a  space  for  storing  corn  for  feed.  The  building  is 
raised  one  foot  from  the  ground  for  the  sake  of  avoiding 
rats  and  other  vermin.  A  sloping  gangway  leads  to  the 
yard,  into  which  it  is  convenient  to  have  a  gate  from 
the  outside. 


Self-closing  Door  for  Pigpen. — K  warm  dry  penis 
necessary  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  a  jiig.  Cold  and 
damp  induce  more  diseases  than  are  charged  to  these 


Fig.  123. — SELF-CLOSING  FEN  DOORS. 

causes.  Neither  the  winter  snow  nor  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer rains  should  be  allowed  to  beat  into  the  pen.  But  the 
diflBculty  is  to  have  a  door  that  will  shut  of  itself  and  can 
be  opened  by  the  animals  whenever  they  desire.  The 
engraving,  figure  123,  shows  a  door  of  this  kind  that  can 
be  applied  to  any  pen,  at  least  any  to  which  a  door  can 


124 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


be  affixed  at  all.  It  is  hung  on  hooks  and  staples  to  the 
lintel  of  the  doorway,  and  swinging  cither  way  allows  the 
inmates  of  the  pen  to  go  out  or  in,  as  they  please — closing 
after  them.  If  the  door  is  intended  to  fit  closely,  leather 
strips  two  inches  wide  should  be  nailed  around  the  frame 
of  the  doorway,  then  as  the  door  closes  it  presses  tightly 
against  these  strips. 


A  Swinging  Door  for  a  Piggery. — The  illustra- 
tion, figure  124,  is  of  a  swinging  door  for  a  piggery,  which 
is  intended  to  be  used  together  in  connection  with  a  feed 


Fig.  124.— A  swrsGiNG  door  fob  a  piggery. 

trough.  The  engraving  shows  a  portion  of  the  front 
wall,  or  partition  of  the  pen.  The  door  is  hung  upon 
hickory  pins  set  into  the  frame,  one  upon  each  side.  It 
may  be  easily  swung  back,  so  as  to  permit  access  to 
the  trough  for  pouring  food  into  it,  and  at  the  same  time 
closes  it  against  the  pigs.  The  door  is  held  in  place  by  a 
bolt  sliding  in  a  slot,  when  in  cither  position,  as  shoAvn  in 
the  engraving.  In  a  piggery,  the  pens  would  be  most  con- 
veniently arranged  on  each  side  of  a  passage  way,  with 
feed  troughs  opening  into  the  passage,  by  doors  of  the 
style  here  described. 


A  combijjhed  carriage  and  tool  house. 


135 


CHAPTER  YIII. 
CAERIAGE  HOUSE. 


A   COMBINED   CARRIAGE  AND  TOOL  HOUSE. 

The  accompanying  engravings  give  plans  of  a  car- 
riage, wagon,  and  tool  house  in  one  building,  suitable  for 
a  large  farm.     The  structure  may  be  sixteen  or  eighteen 


Fig.  125. — PLAN    OF   WAGON   HOUSE. 

feet  high  to  the  eaves,  which  will  give  a  space  of  nine 
feet  in  the  clear  for  the  lower  story,  six  feet  in  the 
clear  for  the  granary  at  the  walls,  and  ten  or  eleven  feet 
in  the  center  between  the  bins.  It  should  be  at  least 
twenty-four  feet  wide,  and  forty-eight  feet  long,  to  give 
ample  space  for  moving  about  in  it.     The  wagon  and  cart 


a^     I 

/; 

1               II 

J-of^'-a 

u 

Fig.  126. — PLAN    OF  THE  UPPER  FLOOR. 

room  is  at  one  end,  and  twenty-four  feet  square,  as  shown 
in  the  plan,  figure  125,  to  contain  three  wagons  and  a 


126 


BAKN   PLANS   AXD   OUTBUILUIXGS. 


cart.  The  doors  of  this  portion  slide  upon  rollers,  and  are 
in  three  divisions  to  facilitate  the  movements  of  the  wag- 
ons in  or  out.  The  carriage  house  is  in  tlie  center,  Avith 
the  entrance  at  the  front.  Here 
is  room  for  two  carriages,  and  a 
tool  house  adjoining,  with  en- 
trance at  the  end  opposite  to  that  of 
the  wagon  house.  In  the  carriage 
house  there  should  be  a  well  and  a  force  pump  furnished 
with  a  hose,  for  the  purpose  of  washing  off  the  carriages, 
and  the  floor  should  be  made  slightly  sloping  each  way  to 


.O.N    AND   TOOL   UOL'SE. 


Fig.  128. — VIKW    v/i     >_...,ii.|Si.. 

the  center,  with  a  gutter  there  to  carry  off  the  water  to 
the  rear.  The  upper  iloor  may  be  reached  by  a  stairway 
outside,  or  from  tlic  inside,  as  maybe  most  convenient. 


A   COMBINED   CARRIAGE   AND  TOOL  HOUSE.         127 

The  plan  of  the  bins  in  the  granary  is  given  in  figure  126. 
On  one  side  are  the  three  grain  bins,  and  on  the  other, 
two  lathed  bins  for  corn  in  the  ear.  Between  these  is  the 
hoisting  wheel  and  door.  The  plan  of  the  hoist  is  shown 
in  figure  127  ;  a  being  the  winding  barrel,  h  the  pulley 
wheel,  with  an  endless  rope  hanging  upon  it,  and  c  the 
pulley  in  the  cathead.  The  hoist  is  supported  by  hangers 
fastened  to  the  roof  timbers  and  the  plate.  Figure  128 
shows  the  elevation,  Avhich  may  be  changed  to  suit  the 
wishes  or  the  means  of  the  builder.  Here  it  is  made 
perfectly  plain,  ia  order  to  be  the  most  economical. 


128 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

CORN  HOUSES  AND  CRIBS. 

"Whatever  temporary  expedients  the  grower  of  Indian 
corn  may  resort  to  for  storing  his  crop,  he  at  last  comes 
to  a  crib  as  a  prime  necessity.  The  rail  pen  is  a  very  in- 
secure inclosure,  much  exposed  to  damage  from  tlie 
storms,  and  an  invitation  for  any  thief  to  plunder.  Stor- 
ino-  in  the  garret  is  a  very  laborious  business,  and  unless 
spread  very  thin,  the  corn  is  very  liable  to  injure  by  mould. 

Spread  upon  the  barn 
floor,  it  is  always  in  ths 
way,  and  free  plunder  to 
all  the  rats  and  mice  upon 
the  premises.  Corn  is 
more  liable  to  injury  from 
imperfect  curing  than  any 
other  grain  that  we  raise. 
"Wheat,  oats,  rye,  barley, 
and  buckwheat  are  easily 
cured  in  tlie  field,  so  that 
a  few  days  or  weeks  after  cutting  they  can  be  thraslicd 
there,  and  immediately  stored  in  bins  or  sent  to  market. 
But  Indian  corn  has  a  much  larger  kernel,  and  grows 
u})on  a  tliick,  stout  cob,  from  which  it  takes  months  to 
expel  the  moisture  after  it  is  fully  ripe. 

THE   CONNECTICUT   CORN   HOUSE. 


Fig.  129. — COfTNECTIOUT   CORN  HOUSE. 


Figure  129,  is  the  common  type  of  the  corn  house 
throughout  the  East.  It  sets  upon  posts  covered  with  in- 
verted tin  pans,  figure  130,  to  make  it  inaccessible  to  rats 
and  mice.    These  posts  arc  a  foot  or  more  in  diameter,  and 


THE   CONXECTICUT   CORN    HOUSE. 


129 


two  or  three  feet  from  the  surface  of  the  ground  to  the 
bottom  of  the  building.  Sometimes  flat  stones,  two  or 
three  feet  broad,  are  substituted  for  the  tin  pans,  but  the 
latter  are  preferred.  The  sides  of  the  building  are  made 
of  slats  nailed  to  sills  and  plates  at  bottom 
and  top,  and  to  one  or  more  girders  between. 
The  bin  upon  the  inside  is  made  by  a  board 
partition,  three  or  four  feet  from  the  siding. 
The  boards  are  movable,  and  are  put  up  as 
the  crib  is  filled.  The  remaining  space  be- 
tween the  bins  is  used  for  shelling  corn,  or 
as  a  receptacle  for  bags  and  barrels,  and  the 
back  part  is  sometimes  used  for  a  tool  house,  or  fitted 
with  bins  for  storing  shelled  corn  or  other  grain. 

Figure  131  shows  two  cribs,  with  a  roof  thrown 
over  them  to  form  a  convenient  shed  or  shelter  for  carts, 
wagons,  and  farming  tools.  Sometimes  the  passage  is 
boarded  up  at  one  end,  and  furnished  with  doors  at  the 


Fig.  130. 

TIN    PAN    ON 
POST. 


Fig.  131. — TWO  CRIBS  ROOFED  OVER. 

other.  These  cribs  are  entered  at  one  end  by  a  narrow 
door,  and  the  whole  space  is  occupied  by  the  com.  They 
are  from  three  to  five  feet  in  width,  and  give  very  perfect 
ventilation  to  the  ears.    They  have  usually  a  stone  founda- 


130 


BAKN    TLAXS    AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


tion,  with  a  sill  and  board  floor  above.  They  arc  made  of 
any  desirable  size,  and  cribs  holding  from  five  hundred  to 
a  thousand  bushels  are  common. 


AN   IMPROVED   COEN  HOUSE. 


The  waste  caused  by  vermin  in  the  corn  crib  is  fre- 
quently very  serious.  Eats  are  the  especial  enemy  of  the 
farmer  in  this  respect,  and  any  means  whereby  their  rav- 
ages may  be  prevented,  will  be  productive  of  a  great  sav- 
ing.    The  burrowing  rat,  which  makes  its  nest  beneath 


Fig.  133.— AN  IMPROVED  CORN  HOUSE. 

the  buildings  or  rubbish  piles,  does  the  most  mischief  in 
the  corn  house,  and  unless  it  is  so  made  that  there  are 
no  hiding  places,  it  is  impossible  to  dislodge  the  rats 
from  their  retreat.  The  corn  house,  shown  in  end  view, 
figure  132,  is  made  so  that  it  is  inaccessible  to  rats 
or  mice,  and  there  are  no  hiding  places  beneath  it.  It 
is  elevated  three  feet  above  the  ground,  on  firmly  set 
posts.  The  cribs  are  six  to  eight  feet  wide,  and  of  any 
desired  length.    For  four  thousand  bushels  of  corn  in  the 


WESTERN    COEX    HOUSES.  131 

ear,  the  building  should  be  forty  feet  long,  with  cribs 
eight  feet  long  and  twelve  feet  high.  The  outside  is 
closely  boarded  and  battened.  The  floor  of  the  cribs  is 
made  of  three-inch  strips,  set  an  inch  and  a  half  apart, 
to  admit  a  current  of  air.  The  space  between  the  cribs 
is  twelve  feet  wide,  and  is  closed  inside,  from  the  bottom 
of  the  cribs  to  the  ground,  forming  an  inside  shed,  which 
is  not  accessible  to  any  farm  animals  or  vermin.  This 
mner  shed  is  closed  by  sliding  doors  at  each  end.  The 
cribs  are  boarded  up  inside  the  shed  with  three-inch  strips 
placed  a  quarter  of  an  inch  apart,  to  admit  air.  The 
cribs  are  thus  Aveather-proof  on  the  outside,  and  by  open- 
ing the  sliding  doors,  free  circulation  of  air  can  be  obtained 
in  fine  weather.  Above,  the  shed  is  floored  over,  forming 
an  apartment  twelve  feet  wide,  by  forty  feet  long,  for 
storage  of  corn.  A  trap  door  may  be  made  in  the  center 
of  this  floor  to  hand  up  corn  from  below.  Any  corn  that 
is  shelled  off  from  the  ears,  and  falls  through  the  floor, 
can  be  picked  up  by  poultry  or  pigs,  and  none  will  be 
wasted.  If  desired,  lean-to  sheds  may  be  built  against 
the  sides  of  the  crib,  giving  valuable  room  for  many  pur- 
poses. The  shed  between  the  cribs  will  make  an  excellent 
storehouse  for  implements.  As  many  doors  can  be 
made  in  the  cribs  as  may  be  desired.  These  should  be 
sliding  doors,  and  loose  boards  may  be  placed  across  the 
door  ways  inside,  to  prevent  the  corn  resting  against  them. 
The  roof  should  be  well  shingled,  and  a  door  made  at 
each  end  of  the  upper  loft,  which  may  be  opened  as  needed 
for  thorough  ventilation. 

WESTERN   CORN  HOUSES. 

The  accompanying  illustrations  convey  to  the  reader 
an  idea  of  the  large  com  houses,  so  frequently  met 
with  in  the  great  corn-growing  "West.  The  one  here 
described     belongs     to    W.    S.    Wadsworth,     Franklin 


132 


BAKN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


County,    Kansas.     Figure  133  gives  a  side  view  of  the 
house,  with  the  end  or  front  in  side  section.    Tlie  house  is 

one  hundred  and 
twelve  feet  long,  by 
twenty  -  eight  feet 
wide, and  has  a  capaci- 
ty of  eighteen  thou- 
sand bushels.  The 
manner  of  storing 
away  corn  in  a  large 
house  like  this,  is  an 
interesting  feature.  It 
is  done  by  horse  pow- 
er, which  operates  a 
large  belt  elevator. 
On  the  right  of  the 
entrance,  or  floor,  of 
the  house,  the  elevator 
is  seen  running  from 
A  to  B.  This  is  a 
strong  endless  belt  of 
leather,  which  passes 
over  a  pulley,  above 
and  below,  and  has  a 
scries  of  "buckets" 
attached  to  its  outer 
surface.  The  ''buck- 
ets "  or  cups  are  about 
two  feet  apart.  The 
pulley.  A,  is  connect- 
ed with  one  above  the 
letter  D,  and  this  is 
turned  by  a  tarred 
rope,  which  connects 
it  with  the  large  wooden  wheel,  five  feet  in  diameter,  at  the 
top  of  the  tuni  post,  to  which  the  horse  is  attached.    Tlius, 


WESTERN"   CORN    HOUSES. 


133 


by  a  proper  construction  of  the  pulleys,  a  sufficiently  rapid 
motion  of  the  elevator  belt  is  obtained  from  the  ordinary 
gait  of  the  horse  on  the  "  power."  The  corn  is  fed  to  the 
elevator  cups  through  a  hoj^per  below  the  floor  ;  shown 
in  cross  section  only  in  figure  133.  The  wagon  is  driven 
in  upon  the  floor,  which  is  provided  with  a  ''dump."  A 
trap  door,  two  and  one-half  by  three  feet  is  opened  at  the 
rear  of  the  loaded  wagon.     At  the  same  time  the  floor  is 


.^^ 


Fig.  131. — END    VIEW   OF   MAIN   PART. 

so  arranged,  that  the  whole  wagon  tips  back,  as  shown  in 
side  view  of  figure  134,  and  the  end  board  of  the  wagon 
box  being  removed,  the  corn  slides  into  the  large  hopper 
below.  It  is  not  necessary  to  have  the  whole  floor  ar- 
ranged to  tip,  but  simply  two  narrow  sills  upon  which 
the  wheels  must  be  placed.  After  the  corn  is  carried 
from  the  hopper  at  B,  to  the  top  of  the  pulley  A, 
where  the  cups  are  inverted,  it  is  thrown  upon  a  long 
smooth  horizontal  belt,  which  is  run  by  a  cord  connecting 


134 


BAKN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


A,  with  the  belt  pulley  at  F,  a  short  distance  below  it. 
This  horizontal  belt  runs  the  whole  length  of  the  storing 
portion  of  the  house,  and  just  below  the  ridge  pole,  as 
may  be  seen  in  figure  133,  a  portion  of  the  roof  being 
omitted  for  the  purpose  of  showing  it.  This  belt  may 
be  shortened  at  any  time  when  the  rear  of  the  house 
becomes  filled.  A  simple  sliding  shute  is  used  at  the 
further  end  of  the  belt,  for  the  purpose  of  turning  the 
corn  to  one  side  or  the  other  of  the  house,  thus  making 


CUOSS    SECT10>'    OF   tfTOHE   lIOLfJE. 


the  distribution  of  the  grain  an  easy  matter.  Figure  135 
shows  a  cross  section  of  the  storing  room,  and  gives  an 
idea  of  the  way  the  sides  of  the  house  are  braced,  by 
means  of  ordinary  boards,  nailed  to  the  sides  of  the  beams 
which  run  from  the  ground  to  the  roof.  The  house 
stands  on  posts  cut  twenty-six  inches  long,  and  set  in  the 
ground  about  one  foot,  the  ground  being  so  raised  that 
no  water  will  run  under  the  com  house. 


ANOTHER  WESTERN  CORN  HOUSE. 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  engraving,  figure  13G,  that  this 
corn  house  stands  ujion  sloping  ground,  and  thus  while 
the  roof  and  floors  are  level,  the  floor  of  each  section  of 
twenty  feet  drops  down  a  step.     The  entire  building  is 


ANOTHER   WESTERN   CORN   HOUSE, 


135 


sixty  feet  in  length,  by  thirty  in  width,  and  is  constructed 
as  follows  :  It  has  an  alley  or  cart-way  running  length- 
wise through  the  center,  which  is  ten  feet  wide  at  the  sills, 
and  eight  feet  wide  at  the  top.  On  each  side  of  the  alley 
is  a  crib  ten  feet  Avide  at  the  bottom,  and  eleven  feet  at 
the  top.  The  outer  and  inner  sides  of  the  cribs  are  slatted 
perpendicularly ;  the  gable  ends  are  close-boarded.   Each 


Fig.  136. — A>OTnER  western  corn  house. 

crib-gable  has  a  door,  and  sliding  doors  upon  rollers  close 
the  cart-way  at  each  end.  There  is  a  floored  loft  over  the 
■whole,  lighted  by  doors  in  the  ends,  which  is  used 
for  storing  grain  and  agricultural  implements.  The 
building  rests  on  fifty-two  oak  posts,  placed  on  stone 
bases,  set  two  feet  in  the  ground,  and  coming  six  inches 
above  the  surface.  It  is  built  entirely  of  native  oak  and 
walnut.  The  posts  at  one  end  are  ten  feet  long  ;  at  the 
other,  a  little  over  twelve,  on  account  of  the  slope  of  the 
ground.  The  cribs  will  each  hold  six  thousand  and 
eighty  bushels  of  corn. 


136 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


'  '''"'''■'■""""ililliiii    u 


A  SELF-DISCHARGIlfG   CORK   CRIB,  137 

A   SELF-FEEDING   CORN"   CRIB. 

In  portions  of  the  West,  -wliero  corn  is  mainly  fed 
to  stock  in  the  open  field,  a  crib  may  be  used  which 
^will  not  only  store  the  corn,  but  will  supply  it  to  the 
stock  as  they  may  need  it,  without  any  further  handling 
than  merely  filling  the  crib.  Corn  being  very  cheap,  and 
labor  dear,  it  is  an  object  to  save  labor  at  the  expense  of 
the  corn.  But  as  hogs  are  usually  kept  along  with  cattle 
under  such  circumstances,  no  com  is  lost  ;  what  is 
dropped  by  the  cattle,  is  picked  up  by  the  hogs.  The 
crib  may  be  made  of  logs  or  planks,  but  should  be  strongly 
built.  It  is  of  the  ordinary  form,  but  open  at  the 
bottom,  where  it  is  surrounded  by  a  pen,  reaching  a  foot 
above  the  open  bottom.  The  pen  is  larger  than  the  crib, 
so  as  to  give  room  for  the  stock  to  reach  the  corn,  and  is 
of  a  convenient  hight,  or  about  thirty  inches  to  three 
feet.  The  pen  is  planked  over  about  a  foot  below  the 
bottom  of  the  crib,  and  if  the  space  beneath  is  filled  Avith 
earth,  it  will  enable  the  building  better  to  resist,  when  it 
is  empty,  the  heavy  winds  of  the  prairie.  The  engraving, 
figure  137,  shows  the  form  of  one  of  these  feeding  cribs, 
which  may  be  made  of  any  suitable  size,  or  of  any  con- 
yenient  material. 

A   SELF-DISCHARGING  CORN  CRIB. 

A  corn  crib  from  which  the  corn  may  be  taken  when 
wanted,  without  opening  any  part  of  the  upper  portion, 
or  without  the  use  of  a  ladder  or  steps,  may  be  made  as 
shown  in  figure  138.  The  floor  slopes  from  one  side 
to  the  other,  and  its  lower  margin  projects  beyond  the 
side  of  the  crib  sufficiently  to  permit  of  a  box  in  which  a 
scoop  or  shovel  can  be  used.  The  projecting  part  of  the 
floor  is  made  the  bottom  of  a  box,  that  is  built  upon  it, 
and  which  is  open  on  the  side  next  the  crib,  so  that  the 


138 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


corn  will  slide  into  it.     A  cover  is  hinged  to  the  box,  so 
that  it  may  be  turned  up,  when  corn  is  to  be  taken  out,  as 
shown  by  the  dotted  lines.     This 
cover  should  be  kept  locked  for  ob- 
vious reasons.     To  facilitate  the  use 
of  the  shovel,  the  opening  into  the 
crib  is  closed  for  a  space  of  two  feet, 
either  in  the  middle  or  at  each  end. 
At  these  closed  places  there  will  be 
no  corn  upon  the  floor  of  the  box, 
so  that  it  Avill  be  easy  to  shovel  out 
Fig.  138.-SECTION  OF      the  corn.     In  one  part  of  the  West, 
cKiB.  cribs  of  this  kind  are  in  common 

use,  but  they  are  not  frequently  found  elsewhere. 

A   COVEK  FOR  CORN   CRIBS. 


A  vast  quantity  of  corn  is  destroyed  or  badly  damaged 
by  being  exposed  in  open  cribs  to  the  rains  and  snows  of 
the  winter  and  spring.  A  simple  and  very  cheap  method 
of  protecting  the  log  or  rail  crib,  in  common  use  in  the 


Fig.  139. — BOABD  RAFTER. 

Western  States,  is  suggested  by  seeing  hundreds  of  them 
filled  with  corn  ^oaking  in  the  heavy  rains  of  spring. 
Take  two  boards,  six  feet  long  and  fasten  them  together 
at  the  end  by  leather  or  iron  strap-hinges,  as  shown  in 
figure  139.  These  should  then  be  laid  across  the  corn, 
which  is  to  be  lieapcd  up  into  the  center  of  the  crib. 


A    COVER   FOR   CORX    CRIBS.  139 

As  many  pairs  of  these  boards  are  used  as  may  be  neces- 
sary for  the  length  of  the  crib,  or  two  pairs  for  each  length 
of  boards,  whether  that  be  twelve  feet,  sixteen  feet,  or 
less.  Boards  are  then  tacked  npon  the  ''rafters"  length- 
wise of  the  corn  crib,  commencing  at   the  lower  part. 


Fig.  140. — COVER  FOR   CORN  CRIB. 

each  board  overlapping  two  inches  or  thereabonts.  The 
nails  should  be  only  partly  driven  in,  so  that  when 
the  cover  is  to  be  taken  away  the  nails  are  easily  drawn 
out  with  a  claw  hammer.  Figure  140  shows  a  log  crib 
covered  in  this  manner.  It  will,  of  course,  be  necessary 
to  stay  the  cover  by  some  means  so  that  it  may  not  be 
blown  off  by  liea\^  winds. 


14:0  BAliJST   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

CHAPTEK    X. 

ICE  HOUSES. 

ICE  :    ITS   USES  AND   IMPORTANCE. 

Every  year  the  use  of  ice  increases.  It  is  not  merely  a 
luxury,  but  becomes  a  necessity  so  soon  as  its  value  is 
known  by  experience.  As  with  many  other  gifts  of  na- 
ture, however,  its  very  abundance  causes  it  to  be  disre- 
garded ;  and  this  mine  of  usefulness  is  formed  once  a 
year,  perhaps  almost  at  the  farm-house  door,  and  allowed 
to  pass  away  in  spring  unworked,  save  by  not  more  than 
one  farmer  in  ten.  Ice  in  the  dairy  is  next  to  indis- 
pensable, for  holding  milk  at  a  pr()})er  tem})erature,  and 
for  use  in  working  and  keeping  batter.  This  fact  is  rec- 
ognized- in  all  well-regulated  dairies,  and  especially  in 
those  where  high-priced  butter  is  m.ade.  Successful 
dairymen  state  that  the  gain  in  the  price  obtained  for 
their  products  by  the  use  of  ice,  many  times  repays  the 
cost;  and  in  preserving  meats,  etc.,  its  worth  is  to  be 
estimated  by  computing  the  total  value  of  the  things  kept 
from  spoiling. 

Ice  should  be  cut  with  a  saw,  not  with  an  axe,  into 
blocks  of  regular  size,  so  that  they  will  pack  into  the  ice 
house  solidly  and  without  leaving  spaces  between  them. 
If  cut  in  this  manner,  ice  will  keep  perfectly  well,  if  not 
more  than  three  inches  in  thickness  ;  but  a  thickness  of 
six  inches  at  least  is  preferable.  It  should  be  cut  and 
packed  in  cold,  freezing  weather,  and  if,  as  it  is  packed, 
a  pailful  of  water  is  thrown  over  each  layer  to  fill  the 
spaces  between  the  blocks,  and  exclude  the  air,  it  Avill  keep 
very  much  better  than  otherwise.  For  a  day  or  two  be- 
fore the  house  is  filled,  it  is  well  to  throw  it  oi)en  in  order 


PLAN    OF   AX    ICE   HOUSE.  141 

that  the  ground  beneath  it  may  freeze,  and  it  may  be  left 
open  for  a  few  days  after  it  is  filled,  if  the  weather  con- 
tinues cold.  The  ice  house  should  be  finally  closed  during 
cold,  diy  weather.  There  are  some  general  principles  to 
be  observed  in  the  proper  construction  of  any  kind  of  ice 
house,  and  all  else  is  of  secondary  importance.  There 
must  be  perfect  drainage,  and  no  admission  of  air  beneath, 
ample  ventilation  and  perfect  dryness  above,  and  suffi- 
cient non-conducting  material  for  packing  below,  above, 
and  around  the  ice,  by  which  its  low  temperature  may  be 
preserved.  The  best  packing  consists  of  sawdust,  either 
of  pine  or  hard- wood,  spent  tan,  charcoal  powder,  or  what 
is  known  as  "braize,"  from  charcoal  pits  or  store  houses, 
and  oat,  Avheat,  or  buckwheat  chaff,  or  marsh  hay. 

PLAN   OF  AN   ICE   HOUSE. 

A  cheap  ice  house  may  be  made  as  follows  :  The  founda- 
tion should  be  dug  about  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  deep 
ill  a  dry,  gravelly,  or  sandy  soil.  If  the  soil  is  clay,  the 
foundation  should  be  dug  two  feet  deeper,  and  filled  to 
that  extent  with  broken  bricks,  coarse  gravel,  or  clean, 
sliarp  sand.  To  make  a  drain  beneath  the  ice  of  any  other 
kind  than  this  would  be  risky,  and  if  not  made  with  the 
greatest  care  to  prevent  access  of  air,  the  dram  would 
cause  the  loss  of  the  ice  in  a  few  weeks  of  warm  weather. 
Around  the  mside  of  the  foundation  are  laid  sills  of  two 
by  six  plank,  and  upon  this  are  "  toe-nailed  "  studs  of  the 
same  size,  ten  feet  long,  at  distances  of  four  feet  apart. 
Upon  these,  matched  boards  or  patent-siding  are  then 
nailed  horizontally  A  door  frame  is  made  at  one  end,  or 
if  the  building  is  over  twenty  feet  long,  one  may  be  made 
at  each  end  for  convenience  in  filling.  When  the  outside 
boarding  reaches  the  top  of  the  frame,  plates  of  two  by 
six  timber  are  spiked  on  to  the  studs.  Rafters  of  two  by 
four  scantling,  are  then  spiked  on  to  the  frame  over  the 


143 


BAKX    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


studs,  a  quarter  pitch  being  sufficient.  Or  if  felt  roofing 
is  used,  a  flat  roof  with  a  very  little  slope  to  the  rear  may 
be  made.  In  this  latter  case,  however,  the  liight  of  the 
building  should  be  increased  at  least  one  foot,  to  secure 
sufficient  air  space  above  the  ice  for  ventilation.  The 
roof  may  be  of  common  boards  or  shingles,  or  of  asbestos 
roofing,  but  it  must  be  perfectly  water-proof,  and 
should  have  broad  eaves,  to  shade  the  walls  as  much  as 


Fig.  141. — A  FRAME   FOR   AN  ICE  HOUSE. 

possible  from  the  sun's  heat.  The  outside  of  the  building, 
roof  included,  should  be  white-washed,  so  as  to  reflect 
heat.  The  inside  of  the  building  should  be  lined  with 
good  boards,  placed  horizontally,  the  space  between  the 
two  boardings  being  filled  closely  with  the  packing. 

The  frame,  figure  141,  is  closed  in  on  one  side  and  end, 
and  partly  boarded  on  the  other  side,  the  front  being  left 
open  to  show  the  manner  of  making  the  frame.  A  section 
of  the  house,  filled  with  ice,  is  seen  in  figure  142  ;  the 
lininir  between  the  walls  is  shown  bv  the  dark  shading. 


PLAN    OF   AN"    ICE    HOUSE. 


143 


The  packing  around  the  ice  should  be  a  foot  thick  at  the 
bottom  and  the  sides,  and  two  feet  at  the  top.  There 
should  be  a  capacious  ventilator  at  the  top  of  the  house, 
and  the  spaces  above  the  plates  and  between  the  rafters 
at  the  eaves  will  permit  a  constant  current  of  air  to  pass 
over  the  upper  packing,  and  remove  the  collected  vapor. 
The  method  of  closing  the  doors  is  shown  in  figure  143. 
Boards  are  placed  across  the  inside  of  the  door  as  the  ice 
is  packed,  until  the  top  is  reached.     Rye  or  other  long 


■  .iLn 


.-      -\-  '--       I  I-  I-  I  'T 

i-L_l     -I       I     \__     \       -|     -I 

\:-     -^  I     -L    -1-1      I-   ^  i 

I  LjL_IH_h_kJM__L_ 
^_r\_-r      I-     I,-  ,  :    I  - 


Tier.  142. — SECTION   OF  AN   ICE  HOUSE  FILLED. 


straw  is  tied  into  bundles,  as  shown  in  the  illustration, 
and  these  bundles  are  packed  tightly  into  the  space  be- 
tween the  boards  and  the  door.  The  door  is  then  closed. 
These  straw  bundles  will  effectually  seal  up  the  door- 
space  of  an  ice  house  in  summer  as  well  as  the  door  of  a' 
root  cellar  during  winter.  When  the  house  is  opened  in 
the  summer,  and  the  upper  packing  is  disturbed  to  reach 
the  ice,  it  should  always  be  carefully  replaced,  and  the 
door  closed  up  again  with  the  straw  bundles.  The  bundles 
of  straw  may  be  fastened  together  by  means  of  two  or 
three  cross  laths.     They  can  be  very  readily  removed 


144 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


and  replaced.  The  material  required  for  a  house  such  as 
is  here  described,  twenty  feet  long,  sixteen  feet  wide,  and 
ten  feet  high,  and  which  will  hold  over  sixty  tons  of  ice, 
is  as  follows  :  Three  hundred  and  twenty -four  feet  of  two 
by  six  studding ;  twelve  rafters  two  by  four,  twelve  feet 
long  ;  five  hundred  and  seventy-six  feet  of  matched  boards  ; 
seven  hundred  and  twenty  feet  of  boards  for  lining  ;  four 
hundred  and  eighty  feet  of  roofing  boards  ;  three  thousand 


Fig.  143. — DOOR   FOK    ICE   HOUSE. 


shingles,  or  four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  of  roofing  boards  ; 
one  batten  door,  hinges  and  nails.  About  twenty-five 
wagon  loads  of  sawdust  or  some  other  non-conductor 
will  be  required  for  a  house  of  this  size. 

A   CHEAP   ICE   HOUSE. 


Figure  144  illustrates  an  ice  house  that  can  be  quickly 
erected  at  a  very  slight  outlay  for  materials,  and  at  the 
cost  of  only  a  few  hours'  lal)()r.  The  size  is  determined 
by  the  length  of  the  })lanks  or  boards  to  be  used.  Nine 
posts,  rough,  sawed,  or  hewn,  of  suitable  bight  are  pro- 
vided, and  two  put  up  at  each  corner,  as  in  figure  145,  rest- 


A   CHEAP    ICE    HOUSE. 


145 


iug  upon  a  block  of  wood  or  a  stone,  or  set  in  the  ground. 
The  ninth  post  is  placed  at  one  side  of  the  front,  to  serve 
as  one  side  of  the  door.  The  bottom  planks,  all  around, 
are  nailed  to  the  posts,  which  may  be  more  firmly  secured 
in  place  by  cleats  connecting  those  at  each  corner ;  the 
front  posts  are  a  foot  or  so  longer  than  the  others,  to 
permit  of  a  shed  roof.  A  plate  of  light  scantling  secures 
the  tops  in  place.     Now  it  is  ready  for  the  ice.     First, 


Fi^.  144. — CHEAP  AND  PICTUBESQUE   ICE  HOUSE. 

sprinkle  on  the  ground  a  layer  of  sawdust,  shavings,  or  cut 
hay.  so  that  it  will  be  at  least  six  inches  deep,  when  firmly 
packed  down.  Then  put  in  the  first  tier  of  ice,  keeping 
the  blocks  a  foot  away  from  the  plank  wall ;  fill  the  space 
solidly  with  the  sawdust  or  other  packing  material,  a, 
figure  145  ;  place  the  second  tier  of  ice  ;  next,  put  in  posi- 
tion more  planks,  and  so  on,  until  the  house  is  filled, 
storing  the  ice,  and  carrying  up  the  wall  together,  and 
filling  in  between  with  sawdust,  etc. ,  as  the  work  pro- 
gresses. The  planks  need  only  be  slightly  nailed,  to  keep 
7 


146 


BAKN    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


them  up  when  the  ice  is  remoYcd,  as  they  will  be  held  in 
position  by  the  posts  without,  and  the  pressure  from 
within.     A  door,  l,  is  made  by  simply  using  two  lengths 


Fig.  145.— GROUND  PLAN   OF  FIGURE  146. 

of  plank  on  the  front  side,  as  indicated  by  the  posts  in 
figure  145.  AYhen  the  house  is  full,  a  thick  layer  of  the 
packing  material  is  put  on  the  top  of  the  ice.     Drainage 


Fig.  140.— ICE  not'.^i:  o."  domalo  o.  iiixcnzLL. 

is  secured  by  placing  the  structure  on  sloping  ground. 
A  roof  of  slabs,  a  thatch,  or  anything  to  keep  out  rain, 


A   SMALL   ICE    HOUSE. 


147 


is  sufficient.  AVith  a  little  taste  this  may  be  made  quite 
pleasing  in  appearance.  Figure  146  represents  the  ice 
house  on  the  Connecticut  River,  of  Donald  G.  Mitchell 
(Ike  Marvel),  made  i)icturesque  bj  a  roof  and  ends  of 
rough  slabs.  The  main  part  of  the  ice  room  is  below 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  may  be  constructed  of 
stones  or  timber.  Ice  houses  can  have  their  appearance 
improved  by  the  free  use  of  climbing  vines.  These  answer 
not  only  as  an  embellishment,  but  serve  a  useful  end  in 
breaking  the  force  of  the  sun's  rays  and  keeping  the 
building  much  cooler  than  it  would  be  under  full  ex- 
posure. It  costs  but  little  more  to  make  the  smaller  farm 
buildings  tasteful  and  picturesque  in  appearance,  than  to 
have  them  look  ugly  and  cheap. 

A   SMALL   ICE    HOUSE. 


The  base,  figure  147,  is  a  frame  of  eight  by  eight-inch 
hewn  or  sawed  timber,  forming  a  square,  twelve  by 
twelve  feet.  This  is  laid  on  a  stone  foundation,  or  on 
corner  posts  set  in  the  ground,  and  filled  underneath  with 
stones  and  mortar  if  accessible ; 
earthing  up  will  answer.  A  similar 
square  frame  is  made  for  the  plates, 
and  this  is  supported  at  the  four 
comers  with  eight  by  eight-inch 
posts,  eight  feet  long,  and  by  two 
by  eight-inch  studs,  say  three  on 
each  of  three  sides,  and  two  as  door 
posts  on  the  front  side.  Figure  148 
shows  a  vertical  section  through 
The  outside,  figure  149,  is  covered  with 
Rough  pine  boards,    somewhat   knotty, 


Fi<;.  117. — THE   WALLS. 


the  middle. 

inch  boards. 

will  answer.     Tlie  cracks  may  be  covered  with  narrow 

baitening.      Inch    boards,    laid    horizontally,    line    the 

inside  up  to  the  plates,  and  the  eight-inch  space  be- 


148 


BARX    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


tv/een  is  filled  with  soAvdust.  The  flooring  is  simply 
boards  laid  upon  the  ground  or  upon  small  cobble  stones. 
The  roof  is  only  one  thickness  of  inch  boards,  with  bat- 
ten pieces  over  the  cracks,  and  is  supported  by  three  hori- 
zontal strips  on  each  side,  laid 
across  rafters.  The  rafters  are 
scantling,  bevelled  and  nailed 
together  at  the  top,  and  set  into 
or  firmly  spiked  to  the  plates. 
About  half  of  the  middle  of 
the  ridge  is  cut  out,  leaving  an 
opening  four  or  five  inches  wide, 
and  over  this  is  a  cap,  support- 
ed by  a  saddle  piece  at  each  end 
of  it,  leaving  an  opening  on  each 
side  under  it  for  ventilation. 
The  cap  extends  far  enough  over 
to  keep  out  the  rain.  The  doors 
are  of  a  single  thickness  of  inch  boards.  The  outside 
boards  can  be  rough,  or  planed  and  painted  to  correspond 
Avith  the  house  or  other  buildings.     When   fiUing  the 


Fig.  14S. — VERTICAL 
SECTION   OF   ICE   HOUSE. 


house,  five  or  six  inches  of  straw  and  sawdust  are  put  on 
the  floor.     The  ice  is  packed  solidly  on  this,  but  a  space 


UJTDERGROUXD   ICE   HOUSES.  l-iO 

of  six  or  eight  inches  is  left  on  all  sides,  which  is  packed 
in  with  sawdust.  Any  spaces  or  cracks  between  the  cakes 
of  ice  are  also  filled  with  sawdust.  Short  pieces  of  hori- 
zontal loose  boards  support  the  saAvdust  inside  the  door. 
These  are  put  in  as  the  filling  proceeds,  and  taken  out  as 
the  ice  is  removed  from  time  to  time.  The  ice  is  filled 
in,  some  distance  above  the  plates,  and  finally  covered 
over  with  a  foot  or  so  of  sawdust.  This  suffices  to  keep 
out  the  sun  and  air  heat.  Experience  proves  that  this 
surrounding  of  sawdust  on  all  sides  Avill  keep  the  ice  well 
during  the  entire  summer  season. 

Those  not  having  access  to  lakes  or  ponds,  can  easily 
make  an  artificial  pond  in  a  prairie  slough,  or  other  de- 
pression of  ground,  large  enough  to  furnish  ice  for  filling 
a  small  house  like  the  above.  In  this  house  there  is  a 
mass  of  ice  say  nine  feet  square,  or  about  two  and  one- 
third  tons  for  each  foot  in  bight. 

UXDERG ROUND    ICE    HOUSES. 

Figure  150  shows  an  ice  house  built  partly  under- 
ground. Where  the  soil  is  gravelly  and  porous,  it  may  be 
built  more  cheaply  than  one  wholly  above  ground.  The 
excavation  may  be  made  as  deep  as  desirable,  perhaps  six 
or  eight  feet  will  be  sufficient.  There  must,  however,  be 
perfect  freedom  from  surface  water,  or  the  house  will  be 
a  failure.  The  bottom  may  be  made  of  a  layer  of  large 
stones,  two  feet  deep.  Upon  this  smaller  stones  should  be 
laid,  to  fill  all  the  inequalities,  and  form  a  level  surface, 
and  there  should  be  placed  upon  these  a  layer  of  coarse 
gravel.  This  may  form  the  floor  of  the  house.  The 
walls,  up  to  a  foot  above  the  surface,  may  be  built  of  stone 
laid  in  mortar  or  cement,  and  the  sill  of  the  upper  frame 
should  be  bedded  in  the  stone  work  and  cement.  The 
posts  and  stud>:,  ten  inches  wide,  and  two  inches  thick, 
should  be  framed  into  the  sill,  as  in  figure  151 — a  being  the 


150 


BARN    PLANS    AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


sill  shown  in  section,  h,  the  stud,  and  c  the  tenon  at  the 
foot  of  the  stud,  and  the  mortise  in  the  sill.     In  figure 


Fig.  150. — SECTION   OF  UNDEKGROUND   ICE  HOUSE. 

152  the  manner  of  framing  the  corners  is  given,  a,  a,  be- 
ing the  sills,  and  h,  h,  b,  the  studs.  One  stud  is  placed 
at  the  end  of  one  sill,  and  another  one  inch  from  it,  at 


Fig.  151.— METnOD  OF  FUAMING.      Fig.  152.— FRAMINO  THE  COUNEB. 


the  shoulder  of  the  adjoining  sill.     Thus  the  outer  boards 
may  be  nailed  firmly  at  each  corner,  and  a  good  joint  also 


AN    ICE    UOUSE    IX   THE   BARX.  151 

be  made  inside,  bj  inserting  the  boards  on  one  side  be- 
tween the  two  corner  studs  at  c.  This  plan  saves  the  cost 
of  heavy  corner  posts,  and  gives  equal  firmness  to  the 
building.  The  corner  can  also  be  filled  with  sawdust, 
making  it  a  poorer  conductor  of  heat  than  a  solid  post. 
For  convenience  in  taking  out  the  ice,  a  ladder  should  be 
built  against  the  inner  Avail.  This  is  covered  by  the 
packing,  when  the  house  is  filled,  but  as  the  ice  is  taken 
out,  the  ladder  is  exposed  for  use. 

AX   ICE    HOUSE   IX   THE   BARX. 

The  following  is  a  method  of  j^utting  up  ice  in  a  cor- 
ner of  the  barn,  without  anything  more  than  a  few 
boards  and  some  sawdust.  The  coolest  comer  of  the 
barn  is  set  apart  for  the  ice,  and  a  board  is  nailed  to  the 
floor  on  each  side  of  the  corner,  or  across  it.  One  of  these 
should  be  just  beneath  a  beam  of  the  upper  floor.  Some 
^^^  rough  boards  are  tacked  to  the 
__  ^  lull  posts  of  the  barn  wall,  up  to  near 
■|  the  top.     A  batten  is  then  nailed 

j  to  the  floor,   one  inch   from    the 

I  n      board  ;  this  makes  the  foundation, 
!  I     I      the  ground  plan  of  which  is  shown 

' — ""'i''' — "'      i    ^^  figure  153.     The  spaces,  a,  a,  are 
'      filled  with  sawdust.     The  ice  is  then 
Fig.  io3.-PLAN  OF  ICE     packed  in  the   space,   bounded  by 

HOUSE  IN  A  BARN.  ,i  liijT  £       l      £  jj. 

the  dotted  Imes,  a  foot  of  sawdust 
being  placed  beneath  it.  The  sawdust  is  kept  in  at  the 
sides  h  and  c,  by  upright  boards  placed  against  those 
nailed  to  the  floor  and  a  beam  above  it,  or  the  board 
nailed  to  the  beam.  When  all  the  ice  is  in,  it  is  well 
covered  on  the  top,  a  space  for  a  door  being  left  in  the 
boarding  above  the  ice.  Then  a  second  row  of  boards  is 
placed  outside  of  the  wall  already  built,  and  fastened 
to  it,  as  may  be  most  convenient,  a  door  space  being 


152 


BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


made  to  match  the  inner  one.  The  space  between  these 
walls  may  be  filled  with  cut  straw,  sawdust,  clover  chaff, 
or  any  other  non-conducting  material,  up  to  the  hight  of 
the  ice  within.     There  is  no  need  of  closinsr  the  door 


Fig.  154. — A  VIEW  OF  AN  ICE  HOUSE  IN  A  BARN. 

space  ;  it  will  be  better  to  leave  that  open  for  ventilation. 
Figure  154  shows  the  outside  of  this  ice  room  as  it  ap- 
pears from  the  barn  floor.  Such  a  place  as  this  may  be 
easily  arranged  in  many  barns. 

ICE  WITHOUT   HOUSES. 


In  England,  when  they  have  an  unexpectedly  good 
crop  of  ice,  the  blocks  are  gathered,  stacked  up  in  some 
favorable  place,  and  covered  witli  a  thick  layer  of  straw. 
In  that  cool  climate  such  stores  of  ice  frequently  last  the 
season  through  ;  in  tbis  country  a  similar  stack  might 
often  be  made  to  help  out  the  regular  supply.  Figure  155 
shows  one  of  these  temporary  storoliouses,  l)uilt  against 
a  bank.  The  ice  is  shown  at  A.  The  outer  wall,  B,  is  of 
*'fern,"  but  straw  would  answer  equally  well,  held  in 
place  by  boards  and  braces,  as  shown  at  B.     The  stack  of 


ICE   WITHOUT   HOUSES. 


153 


ice  is  covered  by  a  little  straw,  then  eighteen  inches  of 
fern,  and  the  thatched  roof,  G,  is  put  over  the  whole. 


Fig.  155,— AN  ICE  STACK  AGAINST  A  BANK. 

An  ice  stack  of  this  kind  answers  perfectly  when  placed 
on  an  incline  so  that  the  water  may  naturally  drain  away. 


154 


BAUN    PLANS   ANU    OUTBUILDINGS. 


CHAPTER   XI. 
ICE  HOUSES  AND  COOL  CHAMBERS. 

The  principal  requisites  for  an  ice  house  with  a  cool 
chamber  below  it  for  milk  or  fruit  are  :  a  locality  where 
the  ice  can  be  expeditiously  placed  in  the  upper  part,  and 
provision  for  drainage  to  carry  off  the  waste  from  the 
ice.  A  hillside  is  the  most  convenient  position  for  such 
a  house.  The  method  of  construction  is  the  same  as  for 
any  other  ice  house,  excepting  in  the  floor.     The  walls 


Fig.  156.— INTERIOR  VIEW  OP  A  COOL  CHAMBER. 

are  double,  and  are  filled  in  between  with  sawdust 
or  other  non-conducting  material.  The  roof  should  be 
wide  in  the  eaves  so  as  to  shade  the  walls  as  much  as  pos- 
sible, and  it  will  be  found  convenient  to  liavc  a  porch 
around  the  building,  on  a  level  with  tlic  floor  of  the  ice 
house.  The  floor  of  tlie  ice  house  must  be  made  not  only 
water  tight,  l)ut  air  tight.  If  a  current  of  air  can  be 
established  by  any  means  through  tlie  floor  of  the  house, 
the  ice  will  melt  away  in  a  very  short  time.  A  double  floor 
of  matched  boards  should  lie  laid,  tarred  at  the  joints. 


ICE   HOUSES   AND    COOL   CHAMBERS. 


155 


and  between  the  floors.  The  joists  are  placed  so  that 
the  floor  slopes  from  both  sides  to  the  center,  to  collect 
all  waste  water  I'rom  the  ice.  A  channel  is  made  along 
the  center  to  carry  the  water  to  the  side  of  the  buildmg, 
where  it  passes  off  by  means  of  a  pipe,  with  an  (fi  curve 
in  it,   to  prevent  access  of    air.     Or  the  pipe   may  be 


Fig.  157.— ICE  HOUSE. 

brought  down  through  the  lower  chamber,  and  made  to 
disclmrge  into  a  cistern,  where  the  water  is  kept  al- 
ways above  the  level  at  which  it  is  discharged  from  the 
pipe  The  method  of  this  arrangement  of  the  floor  is 
shown  in  figure  15G,  which  represents  a  section  through 
the  floor  and  lower  chamber.  The  shelves  are  seen  m 
place  upon  the  sides. 
vSuch  cool  chambers  may  be  used  to  preserve  fruit,  veg- 


156 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


etables,  or  other  perishable  matters.  Some  ventilation, 
and  circulation  of  air  in  them,  is  necessary  to  prevent 
mould  or  mildew,  and  it  would  be  preferable  to  build  the 
lower  story  of  brick  or  stone  rather  than  of  wood.  The 
upper  part  of  the  building  could  be  built  of  wood  as  well 
as  of  any  other  material.  A  temperature  of  forty  de- 
grees has  been  maintained  in  such  a  chamber  throughout 


Fig.  158. — ICE  HOUSE  AND  MILK  ROOM. 

the  summer,  but  this  can  only  be  done  where  the  soil  is 
very  dry  and  gravelly.  The  elevation  of  the  building  is 
shown  in  figure  157. 

Another  plan  of  an  icehouse,  including  an  apartment  in 
which  meat  or  milk  may  be  kept  cool,  is  shown  in  figure  158, 


ICE  HOUSES  AND  COOL  CHAMBERS. 


157 


A  drain  should  be  made  to  carry  off  all  water  from  the 
melted  ice.  A  piece  of  lead  pipe,  bent  in  the  shape  rep- 
resented at  a,  figure  158,  should  be  made  to  carry  oif  the 
water.  Any  current  of  air,  which  would  be  fatal  to  the 
preservation  of  the  ice,  would  thus  be  prevented  from  en- 
tering at  the  bottom.  The  size  of  the  ice  room  should 
not  be  less  than  ten  feet  inside.     The  walls  should  be 


__ ^T^r-^:^  -  -_ 

_                        ^-t'v 

■^ 

f#®^ 

T-i-. 

=  TtaS 

Fig.  159. — ANOTHER   ICE  HOUSE. 

double ;  they  may  be  of  common  boards,  battened  over 
the  cracks,  with  a  space  of  ten  inches  left  between  them. 
This  space  may  be  filled  with  any  light,  dry,  porous  ma- 
terial. Sawdust,  tan  bark,  swamp  moss,  chaff,  or  char- 
coal dust  would  any  of  them  be  excellent  material  for 
this  purpose.  The  filling  should  be  carried  up  to  the 
eaves.  The  roof  need  not  be  double,  but  it  should  be 
tight,  and  ventilators  will  be  required  just  below  the  eaves 
and  out  of  the  roof,  to  allow  a  free  current  of  air  through 
the  top  of  the  house.     The  doorway  leading  to  tlie  milk 


158 


BAUX    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


room  requires  no  door,  but  simj^ly  short  boards  put  across 
as  the  ice  is  built  up.  The  ice  should  be  cut  in  blocks 
nearly  of  a  size,  and  packed  away  as  closely  as  possible, 
all  crevices  being  filled  with  small  pieces.  Choose  cold 
weather  for  this  business,  and  open  the  house  so  that  it 
may  be  thoroughly  reduced  in  temperature.  The  milk 
or  meat  room  is  seen  in  the  lower  portion  of  the  plan, 
with  ranges  of  shelves  on  each  side,  and  windows  also,  for 
ventilation.  They  may  be  closed  with  wire-gauze  double 
screens  and  shutters,  to  exclude  the  heat  in  summer. 
Figure  159  shows  the  whole  building ;  it  is  all  the  bet- 
ter if  shaded  by  a  few  large  trees.  A  coat  of  whitewash 
over  the  whole,  including  roof,  would  keep  the  interior 
cooler,  as  the  heat  would  be  reflected  and  not  absorbed. 

A   CHAMBER   REFRIGERATOR. 

The  engraving,  figure  160,  represents  a  section  of  a 


Fig.   160.— ICE  HOVM      \M'    i:i  I  Kh.niAi.'K. 

Iniilding,  witli  a  room  partilioned  oil  in  sucli  a  manner 
tluit  it  has  ice  on  three  sides  and  the  top,  and  its  floor  is 


A   CHAMBER   REFRIGERATOR. 


159 


below  the  surface  a  few  feet,  in  order  to  take  advantage 
of  the  coohiess  of  the  earth.  The  double  wall  of  the 
ice  house  extends  in  front  of  the  open  room,  and  the  door 
is  protected  by  a  porch.  A  shallow  cellar  under  the  floor 
of  the  ice  house  admits  ventilation  by  the  passage  of  cool 
air  under  the  ice,  and  thence  off  through  a  flue.  The 
floor  and  ceiling  of  the  room  slope,  to  secure  the  neces- 
sary drainage. 


160 


BABif   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

DAIRY  HOUSES. 

Perfect  control  of  the  temperature  of  the  dairy  is  a 
great  step  gained  towards  making  the  best  butter.  It  is 
only  by  means  of  ice,  or  very  cold  spring  water,  that  we 
can  keep  the  most  desirable  temperature  m  very  warm 
Aveather.  During  much  of  the  year  there  is  little  diffi- 
culty in  maintaining  sufficient  coolness.     In  winter  the 


Fig.  161. — AN  ICE  HOUSE   AND  A  DAmT  COMBINED. 


problem  is  liow  to  keep  a  dairy  warm  enough,  and  not  get 
it  too  hot.  A  combination  of  tlie  dairy  and  ice  house 
may  be  made,  and  is  entirely  i)ractical. 

ICE   HOUSE   AND   SUMMER    DAIRY    COMBINED. 

The  plan  proposes  an  ice  liousc  above  ground,  and  a 
dairy  half  below.  The  ice  room  half  covers  the  dairy, 
the  rest  of  the  dairv  l)ein":  below  the  cool  room,  which 


ICE   HOUSE   AND   SUMMER    DAIRY    COMBINED. 


IGl 


forms  the  entrance  to  the  ice  house.  Tlie  exterior 
walls  of  the  ice  house  are  of  wood  ;  those  of  the  dairy  are 
of  stone.  The  floor  of  each  room  is  laid  in  cement,  with 
a  slope  sufficient  to  carry  of  the  water.  The  drainage  of 
sthe  ice  house  is  collected  and  made  to  pass  by  a  pipe,  into 

I --* 


Fig.  163. — GROUXD  PLAN. 

a  vessel  in  the  dairy,  where  the  end  of  the  pipe  is  always 
covered  with  water.  The  water  is  allowed  to  flow  through 
shallow  troughs  in  which  milk  i3ans  may  be  set.  The 
amount  of  water  would  not  be  large,  but  it  will  be  cold, 
and  ought  not  to  be  wasted.  Its  use  will  not  interfere 
'g^ — >^ <v^  — ^. —  in-^ 


Fig.  163.— PLAN  OF  UPPER  PART  OF  ICE  HOUSE. 


with  the  employment  of  water  from  springs  or  wells  for 
the  same  purpose. 

The  building  represented  in  the  perspective  elevation, 
figure  IGl,  is  twenty-eight  feet  long  by  fourteen  feet  wide. 
The  ice  room  seen  in  figures  1G2  and  163,  is  ten  by  twelve 
feet  on  the  ground,  and  about  twelve  by  sixteen  feet,  in- 


162 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


eluding  the  space  above  the  dairy.  The  sides  of  the 
building  are  nine  feet  above  the  ground,  and  the  hight 
of  the  dairy  seven  feet  in  the  clear.  The  outside 
walls  of  the  ice  house  are  made  of  two-inch  plank, 
ten  inches  wide,  set  upright,  with  inch-and-a-half  planks 
nailed  on  the  inside.  They  are  weather-boarded  on  the 
outside,  and  filled  Avith  sj^ent  tan  bark,  or  other  dry,  non- 
conducting substance.  The  partition  wall  between  the 
dairy  and  the  ice  house,  and  between  the  cool  romi  and 


.^,,^,_: ^^^P 

Fig.  164.— SECTION  OF  ICE  HOUSE  AND  DAIRY. 

the  ice  house,  is  half  the  thickness,  and  not  filled,  thus 
forming  closed  air  spaces  between  the  studs.  These 
spaces  communicate  with  the  dairy,  by  little  doors  near 
the  floor,  and  so  currents  of  cold  air  may  be  established 
and  perfectly  regulated,  entering  the  dairy  on  the  side 
towards  the  ice  house.  These,  with  a  ventilator  at  the 
top  of  the  room  for  carrying  off  the  warmest  air,  easily 
regulate  the  temperature. 

A    lU'TTER    DAIRY. 

Figures  1G5,  IGG,  107,  and  1G8  illustrate  a  dairy 
managed  upon  the  shallow-pan  system,  the  pans  used 
being  the  common  tin  ones,  holding  about  ten  quarts. 


A   BlTTEll   DAIKY. 


163 


1G4 


BARN    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


The  hiiilding  should  be  of  stone,  or  if  of  wood,  built 
with  at  least  six-inch  studs,  and  closely  boarded  with  joints 
broken  upon  the  studs  and  battened,  the  inside  being  well 
lathed  and  plastered.  For  thirty  cows  the  size  required 
would  be  thirty-six  by  sixteen  feet,  and  ten  feet  liigh ; 
twenty-six  feet  of  it  sunk  four  feet  below  the  ground. 
The  milk  room  and  ice  house  are  placed  in  this  sunken 
part,  the  other  portion  being  used  for  the  churning  room. 
Steps  lead  from  the  churning  room  down  into  the  milk 


Fig.  166.— INTERIOR  OP  THE  CHURNING  ROOM. 

room.  The  ceiling  is  plastered,  and  an  attic  is  left  above 
to  keep  the  rooms  cool ;  a  ventilator  also  opens  from  the 
milk  room  and  passes  through  the  roof.  Figure  IGo  shows 
the  general  elevation  of  the  dairy,  wliich  is  one  belonging 
to  a  successful  dairy  farmer  in  the  State  of  Xcw  York. 
The  churning  is  done  l)y  horse  ])()\ver,  and  the  })osition 
of  the  power  outside  of  the  l)uil(ling  is  seen  in  the  engrav- 
ing.   Figure  lOG  shows  the  interior  of  the  churning  room, 


A   BUTTER   DAIRY. 


165 


in  Avhich  double  churns  of  the  ordinary  barrel  shape  are 
used.  This  room  contains  a  pump,  sink,  and  wash  bench. 
Figure  1G7  shows  the  milk  room,  four  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  churning  room.  There  are  three  ranges  of 
shelves  around  the  room,  with  a  table  in  the  center.  In 
the  Avinter  this  room  is  kept  at  a  regular  tcmj)erature  of 
sixty  degi'ees  by  means  of  a  stove,  and  in  summer  is  cooled 
to  the  same  temperature  by  an  inflow  of  cold  air  from 


Fig.  167. — INTERIOR  OF  THE  MILK  ROOM, 

the  ice  house  which  adjoins  it.  This  is  admitted  through 
two  openings  in  the  wall  at  the  right  and  just  above  the 
lower  shelf.  Figure  1G8  shows  the  arrangement  of  these 
cold  air  pipes  in  the  ice  house.  A  tube  passes  downwards 
through  the  center  of  the  ice,  and  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ice  branches  into  two  arms,  which  are  made  to  turn  at 
right  angles,  and  after  passing  through  the  ice  ai)poar  in 
the  wall  of  the  milk  room.  Whenever  desirable,  a  current 
of  cold  air,  moved  by  its  own  gravity,  passes  through  these 
pipes  into  the  milk  room,  filling  it,  and  disj)lacing  the 


IGG 


BARX   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


warmer  air,  which  is  forced  out  through  tlie  ventilators  in 
the  ceiling.  In  this  manner  the  necessary  regular  tem- 
perature is  kept  in  the  milk  room  without  regard  to  the 
degree  of  cold  or  heat  which  may  exist  outside.    1'he  size 


Fig.  163.— ICE  HOCSE  AND  PIPES. 


of  the  milk  room  is  sixteen  feet  square  ;  it  has  but  one 
window,  and  that  upon  the  north  side. 


A   PENNSYLVANIA    DAIRY. 

A  building,  owned  by  Mr.  E.  Reeder,  Bucks  Co. .  Pa. , 
is  shown  in  figure  1G9.  It  is  thirty-four  feet  long,  and 
fifteen  feet  wide,  and  stands  at  a  distance  from  any  other 
building  or  any  contaminating  influence.  It  is  divided  in- 
to tive  apartments,  viz.,  the  ice  house,  seen  at  «,  ligure 
170,  the  milk  room,  h,  the  vestibule,  c,  with  stairs  leading 
to  the  winter  milk  room  below,  and  an  attic  above,  for  the 
storage  of  sawdust  for  the  ice.  The  ice  house  is  twelve  feet 
square,  and  fourteen  feet  deep,  holding  thirty-six  loads  of 
ice.  or  over  two  thousand  cubic  feet.     It  is  six  feet  be- 


A    PENNSYLVANIA    DAIRY. 


167 


low  ground,  and  eight  feet  above.  The  walls  are  of 
stone,  eighteen  inches  thick.  The  frame  building  above 
the  wall  is  eight  feet  high.  The  lining  boards  of  the  ice 
house  extend  down  the  face  of  the  wall  to  the  bottom, 
making  an  air  space  of  eighteen  inches,  which  is  filled 
with  sawdust.  The  ice  house  is  tilled  through  three 
doors,  one  above  the  other,  at  the  rear  end.     There  is 


y. — A   Pr.NNSVI.VAMA    UAllir   HOUSE. 


perfect  drainage  at  the  bottom  of  the  house,  with  ample 
ventilation  above,  and  no  currents  of  air  reach  the  ice. 
The  milk  room,  h,  is  twelve  feet  square,  and  is  one  foot 
lower  than  the  ice  room.  It  is  divided  into  two  stories  of 
seven  and  one-half  feet  each,  for  winter  and  summer  use. 
A  ventilator  enters  the  ceiling  of  the  lower  room,  and 
leads  to  the  cupola  at  the  top,  furnishing  complete  ven- 
tilation for  both  rooms.  The  vestibule,  c,  is  four  feet 
wide,  and  eight  feet  long.     Here  the  milk  is  strained  and 


168 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


skimmed,  the  butter  worked,  and  the  pans  are  stored. 
The  floor  is  of  flagging  laid  in  cement,  as  is  that  of  the 
winter  or  lower  dairy.  The  pool,  d,  which  contains  ice 
water,  is  thirty-six  inches  long,  sixteen  inches  wide,  and 
twenty  inches  deep;  in  this  the  deep  pans  and  cream 
kettles  are  immersed.  The  waste  from  the  ice  box,  e, 
can  be  turned  into  this  pool.  If  the  deep  can  system  of 
setting  milk  should  be  practised,  this  pool  can  be  length- 
ened to  twelve  feet.  A  drain,  /,  carries  off  all  the  waste 
water  from  the  room.  At  g,  figures  170  and  171,  is  a  cool- 
ing cupboard,  located  in  the  wall  between  the  ice  house 
and  the  milk  room,  six  feet  high,  four  feet  wide,  and 
eighteen  inches  deep.      This  is  lined  with  galvanized 


N^'-'^NX^^^'^-^^'^'^-^^^'"  \^-' 


|.\^-V\yx.s1         Km\ 


HI: 


(I 


^■»\>-?^'^'.  ■'•;»^y. '■^^^^"^'^^  -^  . 


Fig.  170.— PLAN  OF   THE  DAIRY  HOUSE. 

sheet  iron,  has  a  stone  slab  at  tbe  bottom,  and  two  slate 
shelves  fifteen  inches  wide,  on  Avhich  the  cakes  of  butter 
are  hardened  before  they  are  packed  for  market.  A  cur- 
rent of  cold  air  can  circulate  around  the  shelves,  as  they 
are  three  inches  narrower  than  the  de])th  of  the  cup- 
board. There  are  latticed  blinds  in  the  doors  of  the  cup- 
board, seen  at  i,  i,  figures  171  and  172,  where  the  doors 
are  shown  as  opened  and  closed.  A  current  of  cold  air 
can  pass  through  the  lower  lattices,  and  this  causes  an 
equal  current  of  warmer  air  to  pass  through  the  upper 
ones.  This  warmer  air,  cooled  by  contact  with  the  ice 
box,  e,  passes  down  and  out  into  the  milk  room,  wliere  a 
temperature  of  sixty  degrees  is  easily  nuiintained.  By 
closing  or  opening  these  lattices,  the  change  of  tempera- 


A    PENNSYLVANIA   DAIET. 


169 


ture  is  regulated  as  maybe  desirable.  At  h,  h,  figure  170, 
are  ventilating  pipes,  which  are  provided  with  registers, 
seen  at  r,  r,  figures  171  and  172.  These  communicate 
with  the  air  chamber  beneath  the  ice  box,  and  also  with  air 
flues  at  each  end  of  it.  Thus  two  additional  currents  of 
cold  air  can  be  created  when  they  may  be  needed.  The 
windows  of  the  lower  milk  room  are  close  to  the  ceiling, 
and  above  the  surface  of  the  ground  outside.  They  are 
three  feet  eight  inches  high,  and  are  made  with  outer 

1 


r 

i 

V 

r 
® 

y 

i 

H 

r 


r 

© 


Fig.  171. — DOORS  OPEN. 


Fig.  173.— BOORS  CLOSED. 


wire-cloth  screens,  glazed  sashes,  and  inner  shutters  or 
blinds.  The  milk  room  can  thus  be  aired  and  dark- 
ened at  the  same  time,  if  it  is  desired.  In  operating 
this  dairy,  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  use  ten  to  fifteen 
bushels  of  ice  weekly,  in  the  hottest  weather  in  sum- 
mer, the  ice  box  then  requiring  filling  two  or  three  times 
each  week.  The  air  within  the  milk  room  has  always 
been  dry,  so  that  the  floor  will  not  remain  damp  longer 
than  a  few  hours  after  it  is  washed. 


170 


BARN  PLANS  AND  OUTBTJILDINGS. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 
SPRING  HOUSES. 

The  main  points  to  look  at  in  constructing  a  spring 
house  are,  coolness  of  water,  purity  of  air,  the  preservation 
of  an  even  temperature  during  all  seasons,  and  perfect 
drainage.     The  first  is  secured  by  locating  the  house  near 


Fig.  173. — INTERIOR  OF  SPRING  HOUSE,  WITH  ELEVATED  TROUGH. 


the  spring,  or  by  conducting  the  water  through  pipes, 
placed  at  least  four  feet  under  ground.  The  spring  should 
be  dug  out  and  cleaned,  and  tlie  sides  evenly  built  u])  with 
rough  stone  work.  The  toj)  sliould  be  arched  over,  or 
shaded  from  the  sun.  A  spout  from  the  spring  carries  the 
water  into  the  house.     If  the  spring  is  sufficiently  high, 


SPRING   HOUSES. 


171 


it  would  be  most  convenient  to  have  the  water  trough  in 
the  house  elevated  upon  a  bench,  as  shown  in  figure  173. 
There  is  then  no  necessity  for  stooping,  to  place  the  pans 
in  the  water,  or  to  take  them  out.  Where  the  spring  is 
too  low  for  this,  the  trough  may  be  made  on  a  level  with 
the  floor,  as  in  figure  174.  The  purity  of  the  air  is  to  be 
secured  by  removing  all  stagnant  water  or  filth  from 


Fig.  174.  — INTEKIOK  OF   Sl'RING   HOUSE,    WITH  LOW   TKOLGU. 

around  the  spring.  All  decaying  roots  and  muck  that  may 
have  collected,  should  be  removed,  and  the  ground  around 
the  house  either  paved  roughly  with  stone  or  sodded. 
The  openings  which  admit  and  discharge  the  water, 
should  be  large  enough  to  allow  a  free  current  of  air  to 
pass  in  or  out.  These  openings  are  to  be  covered  with 
wire-gauze,  to  prevent  insects  or  vermin  from  entering 
the  house.  The  house  should  be  smoothly  plastered,  and 
frecjuently  whitewashed  with  lime,  and  a  large  ventilator 


172 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDIXGS. 


A   DOME-SHAPED,    CONCEETE   SPUING    HOUSE.        173 

should  be  made  in  the  ceiling.  There  should  be  no  wood 
used  in  the  walls  or  floors,  or  water  channels.  An  even 
temperature  can  best  be  secured  by  building  of  stone  or 
brick,  with  walls  twelve  inches  thick,  double  windows, 
and  a  ceiled  roof.  In  such  a  house  there  will  be  no  dan- 
ger of  freezing  in  the  winter  time.  The  drainage  will  be 
secured  by  choosing  the  site,  so  that  there  is  ample  fall 
for  the  waste  water.  The  character  of  the  whole  build- 
ing is  shown  in  figure  175.  The  size  will  depend  alto- 
gether upon  the  number  of  cows  in  the  dairy.  For  a 
dairy  of  twenty  cows  there  should  be  at  least  one  hun- 
dred square  feet  of  water  surface  in  the  troughs.  The 
troughs  should  be  made  about  eighteen  inches  in  width, 
which  admits  a  pan  that  would  hold  eight  to  ten  quarts 
at  three  mches  in  depth.  A  house,  twenty-four  feet 
long  by  twelve  wide,  would  give  sixty  feet  of  trough, 
eighteen  inches  wide,  or  ninety  square  feet.  The  furni- 
ture of  the  house  should  consist  of  a  stone  or  cement 
bench,  and  an  oak  table  in  the  center,  upon  which  the 
cream  jars  and  butter  bowls  may  be  kept. 

A    DOME-SHAPED,    COXCEETE    SPEIXG   HOUSE. 

Figure  17G  presents  a  jilan  for  a  sirring  milk  house.  The 
mside  diameter  is  ten  feet ;  hight,  eight  feet.  The  walls  are 
eighteen  inches  thick  at  the  base,  one  foot  at  the  top,  and 
are  made  of  concrete  ;  that  is,  cement-mortar,  one-third 
cemen,  two-thirds  sand,  in  which  as  many  stone  chips  from 
a  quarry  are  placed  as  can  l)e  completely  embedded  in  the 
mortar.  This  should  be  handled  when  freshly  mixed,  and 
as  liquid  as  possible,  and  yet  set  solid.  A  complete  dome  is 
built  of  hemlock  boards  and  the  concrete  laid  upon  that, 
the  outside  being  rough,  so  that  vines  will  cling  to  and 
cover  it.  The  door  is  very  strong  and  tight,  horizontally 
and  diagonally  boarded,  of  matched  pine,  fastened 
throughout  with  clinch  nails.    Ventilating  doors,  opening 


174 


BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


outwards,  are  shown  in  the  front,  and  this  opening  is 
protected  on  the  inside  with  wire-cloth.  The  building  is 
lighted  by  a  circular  plate  of  rough  glass,  such  as  is  used 


Ti^.  176. — FRONT  VIEW  OF  SPRING  HOUSE. 

in  floors  under  sky-lights,  fully  half  an  inch  thick,  and 
two  feet  in  diameter. 
Figure  177  is  the  ground  plan.     In  this,  B  is  the  door. 


Fig.  1T7.— THE   OROrND  PL\N   OF   SPRING   DOUSE. 

entering  at  which  one  comes  upon  tlie  cement,  floor,  Fj 
this  is  half  surrounded  by  the  jiool  against  the  wall 
opposite  the  door.     The  pool  is  designated  by  W  in  the 


A   DOME-SHAPED,    CONCRETE   SPEING    HOUSE.        175 

plan,  figure  177.  The  spring  rises  through  its  pebbly  bed 
at  S;  there  is  a  i)artition  at  A,  over  which  the  water 
flows,  and  this  consequently  separates  the  pool  into  fresh 
water,  and  that  less  directly  from  the  fountain  head,  with 
probably  a  difference  of  one  degree  in  the  temperature. 
The  pool  has  a  raised  rim  six  inches  wide,  and  three  or 
four  inches  high,  to  prevent  water  splashing  out  upon  the 
floor,  at  about  the  level  of  which  the  water  is  intended  to 
stand.  The  milk  is  placed  in  "coolers"  in  the  coldest 
part  of  the  pool.  Jars  and  stone  pots  of  butter  may  be 
set  in  the  pool  nearer  the  outlet. 

Figure  178  is  a  section  on  the  line  ^,^,  which  is  through 
the  doorway.     This  shows  the  depth  of  the  pool,  the 


Fig.  178.— SECTioxAi  VIEW  of 


foundations  (also  laid  in  cement,  so  as  to  exclude  surface 
water  entirely),  the  window  in  the  top,  the  form  of  the 
entrance,  etc.  The  outflow  of  water  takes  place  at 
the  part  of  the  pool  farthest  from  the  spring.  A  chan- 
nel surrounds  the  floor,  for  conducting  away  any  water 
that  may  be  spilled  upon  it.  The  ventilation  througli  the 
door,  being,  as  it  is,  very  near  to  the  highest  part  of  the 
dome,  whicli  is  seven  feet  high  inside,  is  abundant.  The 
light  may  be  too  great  on  sunny  days,  in  which  case  a 
screen  on  the  outside  will  keep  out  both  light  and  heat. 


176  BARX   PLANS  AND  OUTBUILDINGS. 

Light  is,  however,  no  disadvantage  iu  a  dairy,  if  unac- 
companied by  heat  and  flies.  As  to  warmth,  in  case  it 
should  seem  best  to  use  such  a  spring  house  in  winter  to 
work  the  butter  in,  it  would  be  necessary  to  heat  it.  This 
is  easily  done  by  using  a  charcoal  stove,  from  which 
no  odors  come.  The  pipe  should  lead  directly  up  and  out 
through  a  two  and  one-half  mch  hole.  Sufficient  warmth 
to  make  the  room  comfortable  does  not  perceptibly  af- 
fect the  temperature  of  the  pool,  unless  very  long  con- 
tinued. Should  the  size  of  the  spring  house  here  given 
be  too  large  and  expensive,  it  may  be  reduced  to  eight  feet 
inside  diameter  and  six  feet  high,  or  six  in  diameter,  and 
of  proportionate  higlit,  the  pool  being  in  this  case  a  good 
deal  contracted  in  size,  and  the  floor  lowered  to  secure 
head  room. 


A    GRAXARY    AVITH    ITS    GRAIN   BINS.  177 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

GRANARIES,   ETC. 

As  a  rule  it  will  be  found  most  profitable  to  thrash 
grain  as  soon  as  it  has  been  harvested.  There  is  a  saving 
of  time  and  labor  in  drawing  the  sheaves  from  the  field 
directly  to  the  thrashing  machine,  and  mowing  away  the 
straw  in  the  barn  at  once.  The  thrashing  may  be  done 
in  the  field,  and  the  straw  stacked  there,  especially  now 
that  steam-thrashers  are  coming  into  more  frequent  use. 
When  this  plan  becomes  general,  the  granary  will  become 
as  conspicuous  a  farm  building  as  the  barn.  For  storing 
,tlie  crops,  it  will  be  substituted  to  a  great  extent  for  the 
barn,  and  instead  of  the  barn  being  a  store  house,  it  will 
only  be  a  place  for  lodging  and  feeding  the  stock. 

A  GRANARY    WITH   ITS   GRAIN   BINS. 

When  grain  is  thrashed  directly  from  the  field,  and  is 
stored  in  bulk,  it  goes  through  a  process  of  sweating,  and 
if  not  turned  or  ventilated  is  liable  to  heat  and  spoil.  It 
is  a  work  of  considerable  labor  to  turn  the  grain,  or  move 
it  from  one  bin  to  another.  A  granary,  with  ventilating 
bins,  as  here  illustrated  and  described,  saves  this  labor. 
Tlie  granary  is  shown  in  figure  179.  That  it  may  not  be 
accessible  to  rats  and  mice,  it  is  made  two  stories  in  hight, 
the  lower  one  being  used  as  an  open  shed  for  storing 
wagons  and  implements,  or  as  a  workshop.  Access  to  the 
granary  is  gained  by  an  open  stairway,  which,  if  thought 
proper,  may  be  hinged  at  the  top,  and  slung  up  when  not 
in  use.  The  engraving  represents  a  building  twenty-four 
feet  long,  twenty  feet  wide,  and  twenty-one  feet  high. 
The  shed  is  nine  feet  high,  the  granary  eight  feet,  and 


178 


BARN   PLANS  AXD   OUTBUILDINGa. 


A   GRANARY   WITU   ITS   GRAIX   BINS. 


179 


the  loft  for  the  storage  of  corn  is  four  feet  to  the. eaves, 

and  if  the  roof  is  one-third  pitch,  it  is  eleven  feet  high  at 

the  center.    The  frame  is  of  heavy  timber,  to  support  the 

weight.     The  posts  may  be  mortised  into 

sills,  bedded  in  concrete  or  lime  mortar,  to 

preserve  them  below  the  level  of  the  ground, 

or  the  sills  may  be  on  stone  underpinning. 

The  posts  should  be  twelve  inches  square, 

the  studs  four  by  twelve,  and  the  frame  well 

braced  with  girts.     The  floors  should  be  of 

one  and  one-quarter  inch  plank,   and  be 

supported  by  beams  of  ten  by  three  timber, 

placed  sixteen  inches  apart.      There  is  a 

wheel-hoist  in  the  loft,  by  which  bags  of 

grain  are  elevated  from  the  wagons  with  a 

rope,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a  loop  or  sling,  made  by  a 

piece  of  wood,  with  a  hole  at  each  end,  through  which 

the  rope  passes,  as  seen  in  figure  180.    The  bins  are  made 

with  a  substantial  frame  of  two  by  four  timber,  mortised 


Fig.  181.— BXTEUIOU  Ol'  A  CHAIN  BIN. 

together,  and  boarded  with  matched  inch  boards  inside 
of  the  frame.  The  bottom  is  made  sloping,  and  is  raised 
above  the  floor,  so  that  the  latter  can  be  washed  or  swept 


180 


BARX   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


when  needed.  The  form  of  the  bins  is  shown  in  figure 
181.  There  is  a  slide  at  the  bottom,  by  raising  which  the 
grain  may  be  let  out  on  the  floor,  and  shovelled  into  bags, 
or  through  the  sj)out  seen  at  a,  in  figure  182,  into  bags 
on  a  wagon  in  the  shed  below.  A  spout  in  the  front 
also  enables  a  portion  of  the  grain  to  be  run  into  bags 
without  shovelling,  and  if  thought  advisable,  a  spout  may 
be  carried  through  the  floor  from  each  of  the  slide  doors. 


Fig.  183.— SECTION  OF  A  GRAIN   BIN. 

with  very  little  expense.  The  spouts  are  provided  with 
hooks  at  the  bottom,  upon  which  clotli  guides,  seen  at 
a,  a,  figure  184,  arc  hung,  to  direct  the  grain  into  tlic  bags. 
A  space  is  left  sufficient  to  allow  a  boy  to  go  bcliind  the 
bins  and  sweep  the  floor  and  walls,  and  there  is  a  space 
of  at  least  four  feet  in  the  middle  of  the  granary  between 
the  rows  of  bins.  The  bins  may  be  made  of  any  dc.^^ircd 
size,  and  separate  from  each  other,  or  in  one  continuous 


A   GRANARY   WITH   ITS   GRAIN   BINS. 


181 


bin,  divided  by  movable  partitions.  Every  care  should 
be  taken  to  have  no  cracks  or  crevices  in  the  bins,  floors, 
or  building,  in  which  weevils  can  hide,  and  the  windows 


Fiir.  ISo. — VENTILATOK. 


should  be  covered  with  fine  wire-gauze.  The  ventilators 
in  the  roof  should  also  be  covered  to  prevent  the  entrance 
of  the  grain  moth. 

To  provide  against  injury  from  heating,  the  ventilators 
shown  at  figure  183,  and  at  h,  b,  figures  181  and  182,  are 
constructed.     These  are  strips  of  half -inch  wood,  nailed 


Fio^.  184. — SECTION  THROUGH  THE  GRANART. 

togetlier,  so  as  to  form  angular  troughs  aliont  six  inches 
wide.  The  sides  are  bored  full  of  small  holes,  that  will 
not  permit  the  grain  to  pass  through  them,  and  the  ends 
are  covered  with  fine  wire-gauze.  They  are  fitted  into 
the  bins,  running  from  front  to  back,  with  the  open  side 


183 


BAIIN    PLAXS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


downwards.  When  the  grain  is  jwured  into  the  bins, 
vacant  spaces  are  left  beneath  these  ventilators,  and  if  it 
heats,  the  moist  warm  air  escapes  through  them.  Small 
pieces  of  wire-gauze  are  also  fastened  over  holes,  in  the 
bottom  of  the  bins,  as  shown  at  c,  c,  figure  182,  through 
Avhich  cool  air  enters  tlic  bin,  as  the  heated  air  escapes 
above.  In  this  way  the  grain  is  cooled  and  aiirated.  Even 
buckwheat,  which,  when  newly  thrashed,  heats  so  readily 
as  to  be  troublesome  in  damp,  warm  weather,  may  be  kept 
in  perfect  order,  in  such  a  bin  as  this,  without  trouble. 

A  section  through  the  center  of  the  building,  given  in 
figure  184,  shows  the  position  of  the  bins  and  the  passages. 
A  granary  twenty-four  feet  long,  with  bins  six  feet  wide 
and  five  feet  deep,  will  hold  about  one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred bushels  of  grain  on  the  first  floor,  but  a  large 
amount  in  addition  can  be  stored  upon  the  second  floor 
in  heaps  or  bins.  If  more  room  is  needed  for  the  grain, 
a  great  many  filled  bags  can  bo  piled  upon  the  bins,  so 
that  in  case  of  necessity,  two  thousand  five  hundred  bush- 
els can  be  stored  in  a  granary  of  this  size. 

ANOTHER  GRANARY  WITH  PLAN   OF   GRAIN   BINS. 

Without  proper  bins  for  grain,  much  that  is  hard  earned 

in  tlie  field  is  easily  wasted 
in  the  barn.  The  floor  of  a 
granary  should  be  of  double 
liemlock  boards  one  inch 
in  thickness,  dressed  and 
tongued,  and  grooved. 
Sometimes  it  may  bo  desir- 
able to  lay  a  floor  of  i)hink, 
ami  cover  this  with  a 
layer  of  hydraulic  lime 
cement  threo-cpuirtcrs  of 
an  inch  in  thickness.  Either  of  those  floors  will  bo  rat- 
proof.    There  should  be  a  window  in  every  granary,  with 


gx-^ 

4^y4- 

4x4- 

4->!4- 

ALLEY 

6-4- 

■ 

^x4 

^y-A- 

4^4- 

Fiff.  185.— PLAN   OF   GRANAKY. 


PLAN    OF   CORN    CRIB    AND   GRANARY. 


183 


fine  wire-f^auze  shades,  to  exclude  weevils  and  grain 
moths.  Figure  185  is  a  plan  of  a  granary ;  figure  18G 
shows  the  mode  of  constructing  the  bins.  The  posts,  B, 
B,  have  grooves,  into  which  the  boards  are  slipped  as  the 


Fig.  1S6.— ARRANGEMENT   OF   BINS  IN  GBAHAKT. 

bins  are  filled ;  they  can  be  removed  when  not  needed. 
The  boards  should  be  numbered,  that  they  may  always  be 
properly  placed.  Portable  steps,  E,  are  very  convenient 
when  the  bins  are  deep. 

PLAN   OF   CORN   CRIB   AND   GRANARY. 

The  following,  figure  187,  is  a  plan  of  a  combined  corn 


DRIVING  FLOOR 


CORN  CRIB 


Fig.  187.— PLAN   OF  CRIB  ANT)  GKANAUT, 

crib  and  granary,  which  is  thirty-two  feet  long,  twenty 
feet  wide,  and  ten  feet  high  from  the  stone  foundation  to 


184 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


the  eaves  of  the  roof.  It  lias  a  drive  way  through  the 
middle,  ten  feet  wide,  and  double  doors  at  each  end,  by 
which  ample  ventilation  may  be  secured  in  fine  Aveather. 
The  bins,  B,  B,  six  feet  square,  and  five  in  number,  are 
upon  one  side  ;  the  corn  crib  is  on  the  other.  A  stair- 
way, three  feet  wide,  leads  to  the  floor  above,  where 
damp  grain  may  be  sj)i'ead  beneath  the  roof  to  diy.     The 


Fig.  188.— VIEW  OF  CORN  CRIB  AND  GRANAKT. 

corn  crib  is  so  arranged  that  the  corn  may  be  shovelled 
out  at  the  bottom,  by  nailing  cross-boards  to  the  scant- 
ling, projecting  twelve  inches  ;  a  board  ten  inches  wide 
is  nailed  to  these  to  make  a  long  spout  or  trough.  An 
exterior  view  of  the  building  is  given  in  figure  188. 

A  3IEASURING   GRAIN   BIN. 


A  grain  bin,  with  an  attachment  for  measuring,  is 
given,  figure  180.  There  can  be  no  waste,  as  the  bag  or 
sack  may  be  hooked  \\\^o\\  the  lower  end  of  the  spout,  and 
when  filled  can  l)e  easily  removed.  The  spout  requires 
the  bin  In  lie  sufficiently  elevated  for  the  bag,  when  at- 


SLIDING   SPOUT  FOR  A   BARN"   OR  GRANARY.        185 


GrcLinBin 


tached  to  the  spout,  to  just  clear  the  floor  or  a  box  placed 
for  it  to  rest  upon.  In  drawing  from  the  bin,  the  slide 
marked  A,  is  closed,  and  the  slide  B,  is  opened  long 
enough  for  space  C,  to  fill,  when  B  is  closed,  and  A 
opened,  and  the  grain  passes  into  the  bag.  The  size  of 
the  measuring  chamber  in  the  spout 
is  ten  by  ten  inches  square,  and 
twenty-one  and  one-half  inches 
high.  This  holds  just  one  Win- 
chester bushel ;  but  if  a  half  bushel 
chamber  is  preferred,  then  the 
proper  size  would  be  ten  by  ten 
inches  square,  and  ten  and  three- 
quarter  inches  high.  Of  course, 
these  measurements  are  for  the  in- 
side of  the  chamber.  By  inserting 
a  pane  of  glass  in  the  face  of  the 
bin,  or  in  the  spout  at  D,  one 
could  always  tell  the  quantity  of 
grain  in  the  bin.  In  constructing 
a  bin  like  this,  the  bottom  should 
have  a  rise  of  five  inches  to  the  foot.  For  example,  a 
bin  six  feet  from  front  to  back,  for  wheat  or  corn,  should 
have  a  rise  of  thirty  inches  in  the  bottom  to  secure  a 
flow  ;  oats  require  more. 


loin    ^ 


Fig.  189.— A  MEASURtSG 
GKAIN  BIN. 


SLIDING   SPOUT   FOR   A   BARN   OR   GRANARY. 


A  spout  through  which  bags  of  grain  or  feed  may  be 
sent  from  one  floor  to  another,  in  barns  or  granaries, 
is  represented  in  figure  190.  This  sliding  spout  will 
be  found  very  useful  for  other  purposes  than  the  one 
mentioned,  and  may  be  readily  made  to  serve  as  a  venti- 
lating trunk  as  well.  It  consists  of  a  wooden  spout 
about  two  feet  square,  made  as  shown  in  the  engraving, 
and  passing  at  each  turn  from  one  floor  to  another.     A 


186 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


bag  of  grain  or  feed  dropped  in  at  the  top,  -will  slide 
from  floor  to  floor  until  it 
reaches  the  table  at  the  bot- 
tom. The  openings,  a,  a,  are 
closed  by  doors  which  may  be 
shut  down  across  the  spout, 
when  it  is  required  to  deliver 
the  bags  upon  any  intermediate 
floor.  This  spout  is  necessarily 
used  in  connection  with  a  hoist- 
ing apparatus  or  an  elevator, 
by  which  the  grain  or  feed  is 
raised  to  an  upper  floor.  In 
high  barns  provided  with  a 
hoist  and  a  sliding  spout  of 
til  is  kind,  it  will  generally  be 
found  convenient  to  store  the 
gi-ain  upon  the  top  floor  where  it  ^'S-  I'JO. -sliding  spout. 
will  be  well  ventilated,  and  may  be  made  free  from  vermin. 


CONVENIENT  GRAIN  BIN. 

The  strain  of  body,  and  rush  of  blood  to  tlie  head, 
that  are_very  often  experienced,  in  get- 
ting grain,  or  meal  from  a  deep  bin 
runs  low,  are  avoid- 
shown  in  figure  191. 
in  wliich  the  two  top 
boards   in   front 
are    lunged,   be- 
ing fastened   \\^ 
by  hooks  at  the 
ends,     and     let 
down  as  desired. 
Front     edge    of 
the  bin  is  ahout 
i.ii.uN  IAS.  four    feet   hii,di. 


A  CONVEXIEIST  SMOKE  HOUSE.  187 

CHAPTER    XV. 

SMOKE  HOUSES. 

A  good  smoke  house  should  be  found  upon  every  farm, 
large  or  small,  aud  there  are  many  other  families  besides 
thpse  of  farmers  which  would  be  vastly  benefited  by 
one".  The  object  is  to  be  able  to  expose  meats  to  the 
action  of  creosote  and  the  empyreumatic  vapors  resulting 
from  the  imperfect  combustion  of  wood,  etc.  The  pecu- 
liar taste  of  smoked  meat  is  given  by  the  creosote,  which 
is  also  the  preservative  principle,  but  sundry  flavors, 
agreeable  to  those  who  like  them,  are  also  imparted  by 
other  substances  in  the  smoke.  All  that  is  necessary  for 
a  smoke  house,  is  a  room,  from  the  size  of  a  barrel  to 
that  of  a  barn,  which  can  be  filled  with  smoke  and  shut 
up  tight,  with  conveniences  for  suspending  the  articles 
to  be  cured.  In  common  smoke  houses  the  fire  is 
made  on  a  stone  slab  in  the  middle  of  the  floor.  In 
others,  a  pit  is  dug,  say  a  foot  deep,  in  the  ground,  and 
here  the  fire  is  placed  ;  sometimes  a  stone  slab  covers  the 
fire  at  the  hight  of  a  common  table. 

A    COXVENIEXT   SilOKE   HOUSE. 

The  accompanying  plan,  figure  192,  is  of  a  good  smoke 
house  ;  it  diffuses  the  rising  smoke,  and  prevents  the 
direct  heat  of  the  fire  affecting  the  meats  hanging  immedi- 
ately above.  A  section  of  the  smoke  house  is  shown,  and 
though  somewhat  expensive,  is  warmly  praised.  It  is 
eight  feet  square,  and  built  of  brick.  If  of  wood  it 
should  be  plastered  on  the  inside.  It  has  a  chimney,  C, 
with  an  eight-inch  flue  and  a  fire  place,  B,  which  is  out- 
side below  the  level  of  the  floor.  From  tins  a  flue,  F,  is 
carried  under  the  chimney  into  the  middle  of  the  floor 


188 


BARX   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


wlicre  it  ojoeiis  under  a  stone  talkie,  E.  In  kindling  the 
fire  a  valve  is  drawn  directing  the  draft  \v^  the  chimney. 
The  green  chips  or  cobs  are  thrown  on,  and  the  valve  is 
then  placed  so  as  to  turn  the  smoke  into  the  house. 
Both  in  the  upper  and  lower  parts  of  the  chimney  there 
are  also  openings,  G,  G, 
closed  by  valves  reg- 
ulated from  the  outside. 
The  door  has  to  be  made 
to  shut  very  closely,  and 
all  i^arts  of  the  building 
must  be  as  tight  as  pos- 
sible. The  advantage 
of  such  a  house  as  this 
is,  that  the  smoke  is 
cooled  considerably  be- 
fore it  is  admitted.  No 
ashes  rise  with  the 
smoke.  Meats  may  be  kept  in  it  the  year  round,  without 
being  very  much  smoked,  inasmuch  as  the  smoking  need 
be  only  occasionally  renewed,  so  as  to  keep  the  flies  away. 
The  table  placed  in  the  center  will  be  found  a  great 
convenience  in  any  smoke  house. 


Fis.  l'J2. — INTElilOK   OF   SMOKli   UOUSE. 


IMPROVED  SMOKE  HOUSES. 


Figure  193  is  an  engraving  of  a  brick  smoke  house, 
built  over  an  ash  pit  or  cellar,  six  feet  deep,  the  entrance 
to  which  cellar  is  through  the  door  shown  at  the  side.  The 
roof  is  arched,  and  there  is  no  wood  about  the  structure, 
except  the  doors.  The  floor  of  the  house  is  made  of  narrow 
iron  bars,  three  inches  wide,  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
thick,  set  on  edge  about  two  inches  apart,  so  as  to  form  a 
grating.  The  ends  of  these  bars  arc  seen  set  in  the  bricks 
at  the  lower  part  of  the  house.  They  are  made  for  laying 
side  pieces  of  bacon  upon  them  during  the  smoking.  The 


IMPKOVED  SMOKE  HOUSES. 


189 


Fig.  193.— AN   IMPKOVED  SMOKE  HOU 


Fig.  194.— INTERIOR  OF  SMOKE   nOCSE. 


190 


SARIS'   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


hams  are  hung  upon  round  iron  bars,  stretched  across  the 
upper  part  of  the  house  ;  the  ends  of  these  bars  are  bent 
down,  thus  forming  stays  or  braces  to  the  building,  as 
seen  in  the  engraving.  A  few  spaces  are  left  in  the  front 
of  the  house,  over  the  door,  for  ventilation.  The 
interior  of  the  house  is  shown  in  figure  IQ-l. 
The  hams  are  hung  upon  wire  hooks,  figure  195, 
which  slide  upon  the  rods.  This  house  required 
in  building  two  thousand  bricks,  and  two  masons' 
labor  for  one  and  a  half  days.  Figure  19G  repre- 
sents a  section  of  a  smoke  house  of  wood,  which 
is  very  cleanly  in  use,  there  being  no  fire,  and  consequently 
no  ashes,  upon  the  floor.  The  floor  is  made  of  cement,  or 
of  hard  brick  laid  in  cement  or  mortar.  Either  of  these 
floors  will  exclude  rats,  and  may  be  washed  Avhcn  neces- 
sary. The  fire  ovens,  made  of  brick,  are  built  ou  each 
side  of  the  house,  or  two  of  them  may  be  erected  at  the 


195. 


WOODEN  SMOKE  UOUtJE    WITU   OVENS. 


rear  end.  They  are  constructed  u})on  the  outside,  but 
spaces  are  left  between  the  l)ricks  on  the  inside,  through 
which  the  smoke  csca})es.  The  outer  i)art  of  the  oven  is 
open  at  the  front,  but  may  be  closed  by  an  iron  door,  or 


CHEAP  SMOKE  HOUSES. 


191 


a  piece  of  flat  stone  or  slab  of  cement.  When  the  fire  is 
kindled  in  the  ovens,  the  doors  are  closed  and  fastened, 
and  the  smoke  has  no  means  of  escape  except  through 
the  inside  spaces.  From  being  so  confined,  the  fire  can 
not  burn  up  briskly,  but  slowly  smoulders,  making  a 
cool  and  jjungent  smoke.  In  any  smoke  house,  the  less 
brisk  the  fire  is  kept,  the  more  efEective  is  the  smoke,  as 
the  slow  combustion  of  the  wood  permits  the  escape  of 
most  of  the  wood  acids,  which  give  their  flavor  and  their 
antiseptic  properties  to  the  meat.  When  the  fire  is  brisk, 
these  are  consumed  and  destroyed,  and  the  meat  is  in- 
jured by  the  excess  of  heat.  These  outside  ovens  may  be 
fitted  to  any  kind  of  a  smoke  house,  by  simply  cutting 
the  necessary  openings  at  the  bottom  of  the  walls,  and 
protecting  the  wood-work  by  strips  of  sheet  iron  around 
the  bricks. 

CHEAP  SMOKE  HOUSES. 


Figure  197  presents  a  sectional  view  of  a  brick  smoke 
house,  which  may  be  made  of  any  size.     One,  seven  by 


Fig.  197 


-SECTIONAX  VIEW, 


Fiff.  198.— ELEVATION. 


nine  feet,  will  be  large  enough  for  private  use,  but  the 
plan  admits  of  application  for  the  largest  sized  building. 
At  the  bottom  of  the  structure  is  a  brick  arch,  with  bricks 
left  out  liere  and  there  to  aftord  passage  for  the  smoke. 


192 


BAEN"    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


Above  the  arch  arc  two  scries  of  iron  rods,  supplied  with 
hooks  with  grooved  wheels,  by  wliich  the  ring,  with  its 
burden,  may  be  pushed  back,  or  drawn  forward,  as  de- 
sired.    The  wheel-hook  is  shown  in  figure  197,  and  can 


Fig.  199. — THE  AKCH.  Fig.  200. — frame  for  arch. 

be  procured  at  any  hardware  store.  In  figure  198  the 
house  is  seen  in  perspective,  with  the  open  archway  for 
the  fire,  and  the  door  provided  with  steps.     Above  the 


JUL 


A  PENNSYLVANIA  SMOEB  HOUSE. 


lower  bar  and  below  the  upper  one,  is  a  series  of  venti- 
lating holes  through  which  the  smoke  may  escape.  These 
are  made  by  leaving  out  Ijricks,  and  they  can  be  closed  by 


SMOKING    MEATS    IX    A   SMALL    WAY. 


193 


inserting  bricks  closely  in  the  vacancies.  In  figure  199  is 
the  arch  which  confines  the  fire  and  ashes,  and  prevents 
any  meat  that  may  fall  from  being  soiled  or  burned.  A 
few  open  spaces  will  be  sufficient  to  permit  the  smoke  to 
pass  through.  This  arch  is  constructed  over  a  wooden 
frame,  figure  200,  made  of  a  few  pieces  of  boards,  cut  into 
an  oval  arch-shape,  to  which  strips  of  wood  are  nailed. 
"When  the  brick- work  is  dry  the  center  is  knocked  down 
and  removed.  For  safety  and  economy  a  loose  door  may 
be  made  to  shut  up  the  arch  when  the  fire  is  kindled. 
Figure  201  shows  a  smoke  house  common  in  Maryland 
and  Pennsylvania.  It  is  built  upon  a  brick  wall,  and 
over  a  brick  arch,  tlirough  which  a  number  of  holes  or 
spaces  are  left  in  the  brick-work,  for  the  smoke  to  pass 
through.  Beneath  the  arch  is  the  ash  pit,  and  a  door 
opens  into  this,  as  shown  in  the  engraving.  The  door  to 
the  meat  room  can  not  be  reached  without  a  ladder. 

SMOKING    MEATS   IN   A    SMALL   WAY. 


Fig.  202. — SUBSTITUTE  FOR   A.  SMOKE  HOUSE. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  one  needs  to  smoke  some 
hams  or  other  meat,  and  no  smoke  house  is  at  hand. 
9 


194 


BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


In  such  a  case  a  large  cask  or  barrel,  as  shown  in  figure 
202,  may  prove  a  very  good  substitute.  To  make  this  ef- 
fective, a  small  pit  should  be  dug,  and  a  flat  stone  or  a 
brick  placed  across  it,  upon  Avhicli  the  edge  of  the  cask 
will  rest.  Half  of  the  jjit  is  beneath  the  barrel,  and  half 
of  it  outside.  The  head  and  bottom  may  be  removed,  or 
a  hole  can  be  cut  in  the  bottom  a  little  larger  than  the 
portion  of  the  pit  beneath  the  cask.  The  head  is  re- 
moved while  the  hams  are  hung  upon  cross  sticks.  These 
rest    upon  two  cross-bars,  made  to  pass  through  holes 

bored  in  the  sides  of  the 
cask,  near  the  top.  The 
head  is  then  laid  upon 
the  cask,  and  covered 
with  sacks  to  confine  the 
smoke.  Some  coals  are 
put  into  the  pit  outside 
of  the  cask,  and  the  fire 
is  fed  Avith  damp  corn 
cobs,  liardwood  cliips,  or 
fine  brush.  The  pit  is 
covered  with  a  flat  stone, 
by  wliich  the  fire  may 
1)0  reguhitcd,  and  it  is 
I'omoved  when  necessary 
t  o  add  more  fuel. 

A  SMOKE  HOUSE  CON- 
VENIENCE. 


Fii,'.  203. 


\    SMOKT    ITOrSi;    CON- 
VKMENCE. 


A  method  of  hanging 
the  meat  in  asmoke  house 
without  the  necessity  for  reaching  up,  or  using  a  ladder, 
is  shown  in  figure  203.  The  smoke  house  may  be  of  any 
shape,  but  it  should  be  ])rovi(l('(l  witli  cleats  fixed  to  the 
sides,  upon  wliich  tlie   lianging-bars  rest.     A  pulley  is 


AX  OVEX  AND  SMOKE  HOUSE  COMBINED.     195 

fitted  inside  to  the  top  of  the  building,  and  a  hoisting 
rope  is  passed  over  it.  The  hanging-bar  is  fastened  to 
the  rope  by  two  spreading  ties,  so  that  it  will  not  easily 
tip  when  it  is  loaded.  The  hams  or  bacon  are  hung  upon 
hooks  fixed  in  the  bar,  and  the  whole  is  hoisted  to  the 
cleats,  when  the  bar  is  swung  around  so  that  the  ends 
rest  upon  the  cleats.  The  rope  is  then  released  from  the 
bar  by  means  of  a  small  rod,  and  another  bar  may  be 
loaded  and  raised  in  the  same  way. 

AN   OVEN   AND   SMOKE   HOUSE   COMBINED. 

Tlie  bricks  chosen  for  an  oven  should  be  hard,  well 
burned  and  molded,  and  with  straight  edges.  This  is 
especially  necessary  for  the  hearth.  It  is  best  to  have  the 
oven  detached  from  the  house,  and  yet  so  near  to  the 
kitchen  door  that  it  may  be  easJy  reached.  The  founda- 
tion of  the  oven  is  made  by  building  two  nine-inch  Avails 
of  the  proper  length,  or  about  six  feet,  and  six  feet  apart, 
to  a  hight  of  two  feet  above  the  ground.  Upon  the 
walls  are  laid  cross  pieces  of  four-inch  oak  jDlank,  or  fiat 
timbers,  made  somewhat  like  railroad  ties.  These  lie  on 
the  wall  for  the  length  of  half  a  brick,  so  that  a  course 
of  half  bricks  or  whole  bricks  placed  lengthwise  may  be 
built  to  enclose  them.  At  the  front,  an  iron  bar  may  be 
built  into  the  wall,  and  the  front  course  of  bricks  laid 
upon  it.  The  spaces  between  the  timbers  are  filled  with 
mortar,  and  a  layer  of  mortar  at  least  an  inch  thick  is 
l^laced  upon  them.  Dry  sand  is  thrown  upon  the  mortar, 
and  the  whole  bed  is  beaten  with  a  mallet  until  it  is  made 
hard  and  compact.  Dry  sifted  coal,  or  wood  ashes,  or 
sand,  is  then  laid  upon  this  bed  to  a  depth  of  six  inches, 
and  smoothed  down.  Upon  this  non-conducting  fioor 
the  oven  hearth  is  placed.  The  best,  smoothest,  and  hard- 
est bricks  are  chosen  for  this.  The  bricks  are  laid  very 
evenly  and  closely  together,  with  mortar,  in  which  a  good 


19G 


BAKN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


proportion  of  wood  ashes  is  mingled.  "When  the  floor  is 
secured,  the  walls  are  built  in  the  same  manner  with  bricks 
placed  endwise  from  the  inside  to  the  outside.  When 
the  walls  are  about  a  foot  high,  the  frames  for  the  center 
are  fixed  in  their  proper  places.  These  are  cut  out  of 
common  inch  boards  of  the  shape  to  fit  the  arched  roof. 


'     204.— FROUT  VIEW  OF   COMBINED  OVEN   AND  SMOKE  HOCSE. 


Tlie  rise  of  the  arch  is  about  eight  inches,  giving  a  total 
hight  in  the  middle  of  the  oven  of  twenty  inches,  and 
twelve  inches  at  the  sides.  The  boards  should  be  cut  in 
two  through  the  middle,  and  lightl}-  tacked  together,  so 
t!uit  they  can  be  readily  knocked  aj)art  and  removed  from 
the  door  wlien  thearcli  isdrv.  The  Avail  around  the  oven 
and  the  arched  roof  should  be  well  l)ound  together,  and 
brick  work  placed  around  the  outside  of  the  top  of  the 
arch,  so  as  to  make  the  connection  between  the  walls  and 


AN    OVEN"   AND   SilOKE    HOUSE   COMBINED. 


197 


arch  firm  and  solid.  Tlic  inside  of  the  oven  will  then 
consist  of  a  solid  nine-inch  wall  of  brick  laid  with  the 
ends  toward  the  middle  of  the  oven,  or  nearly  so.  This 
will  serve  to  retain  the  heat  a  long  time,  and  will  make  a 
very  serviceable  oven.  The  outside  wall  should  be  carried 
a  few  inches  above  the  line  of  the  top  of  the  oven,  and 
fine  dry  sand  thrown  in  the  space  to  level  it  off.    A  plank 


Fij;.  203.— BEAR   VIEW   OF   COMBINED   OVEN  AND   SMOKE  HOl'SE. 

floor  may  then  be  placed  across  the  top,  which  can  serve 
for  the  floor  of  part  of  the  smoke  house  above.  Figure  204 
shows  the  front  of  the  oven  when  complete.  The  rear  of 
the  combined  oven  and  smoke  house  is  shown  in  figure  205. 
Figure  206  represents  another  i)lan  for  a  bake  oven  and 
smoke  house  combined  in  one  building.  The  oven  occu- 
pies the  front  and  that  part  of  the  interior  which  is 
represented    by  the   dotted   lines.      The  smoke    house 


198 


BARIT    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


occupies  the  rear  and  extends  over  the  oven.  The  ad- 
vantages of  this  kind  of  building  are  the  perfect  dryness 
secured,  which  is  of  great  importance  in  preserving  the 


206. — COMBINED  SMOKE  HOUSE  AND  OVEN. 


meat,  and  the  economy  in  building  the  two  together,  as 
the  smoke  that  escapes  from  the  oven  may  be  turned  into 
the  smoke  house. 


DOG   KENNELS. 


199 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


DOG  KENNELS. 


The  dog  is  frequently  left  to  find  shelter  as  best  he  can 
on  the  lee  side  of  the  house  or  barn,  or  under  the  barn. 
He  may  have  sufficient  sagacity  to  know  when  he  is  well 
or  ill  treated,  and  he  may  very  reasonably  lose  his  self- 
respect,  and  take  to  evil  courses,  such  as  prowling  abroad, 
marauding  and  sheep  killing,  when  not  taught  better,  and 


Fig.    207.— A  DOG   KEXNEL. 

provided  with  decent  quarters  at  home.  The  conduct 
and  attitude  of  a  roughly  used,  half  starved  cur,  is  en- 
tirely different  from  that  of  a  well  fed,  and  decently  kept 
dog,  and  every  one  who  keeps  a  dog,  should  certainly  take 
pains  to  treat  him  well,  and  thoroughly  train  him.  A 
shelter  of  some  kind  should  be  provided,  which  the  ani- 
mal will  recognize  as  his  home,  and  the  more  comfort- 
able this  is  made,  the  more  contented  he  will  be,  not 
to  speak  of  the  freedom  from  disease  and  vermin  to  be 
enjoyed.     The  disrepute  into  which  these  animals  have 


200 


BARN    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


fallen  in  the  estimation  of  sheep  and  poultry  keepers,  and 
gardeners,  is  greatly  owing  to  the  liberty  given  them  by 
owners,  to  prowl  about  and  commit  depredations. 

FARM   DOG   KENNELS. 

The  kennel  shown  in  figure  207,  is  seven  feet  long,  by 


Fiil.  206.— A  N£AT   DOG   KENNEL. 


three  feet  six  inches  wide,  and  has  two  doors,  one  opening 
inward,  and  one  outward.     The  latter  door  is  provided 


Fig.  309.  — A       .1     Ai     l.i.NNLl,. 

with  a  l)ell,  by  which  the  owner  can  tell  when  the  dog 
goes  out  at  night.  In  summer  one  door  may  be  used  for 
ventilation,  but  in  the  winter  l^oth  should  be  let  down. 


FARM   DOG   KENNELS. 


201 


The  manner  of  making  a  very  neat  kennel  is  shown  in 
figure  208.  The  bottom  is  two  feet  six  inches  by  four 
feet,  and  from  this  to  the  top  of  the  roof  it  is  three  feet 
nine  inches.  The  door  has  an  arched  top  and  should  be 
of  any  size  from  eight  by  twelve  inches,  up  to  twelve  by 
twenty-two  inches,  to  suit  the  size  of  the  occupant.  It 
is  painted  light  brown,  with  the  corners,  base,  and  win- 


Fig.  210. — KENNEL  WITH  TABD  FOR  DOGS. 

dow  planks  painted  darker.  Brackets  may  be  placed  be- 
neath the  cornice  molding.  A  cheap  and  equally  service- 
able kennel  is  shown  in  figure  209.  It  has  a  floor  the 
same  size  as  the  preceding,  is  three  feet  four  inches  high 
in  front,  and  the  roof  has  a  fall  of  eight  inches.  A 
yet  cheaper  one  is  made  by  taking  a  square  box,  three  by 
four  feet,  and  cutting  a  door  in  one  end.     During  winter. 


202  BARN"   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

if  the  kennel  be  in  an  exjoosecl  situation,  tack  a  piece  of 
heavy  carpeting  over  the  door  on  the  inside,  so  that  it 
will  cover  the  entire  doorway.  Where  several  dogs  are 
kept,  a  roomy  kennel  and  yard  should  be  provided,  in 
which  to  confine  them.  A  dog  yard  with  kennel  is  shown 
in  figure  210.  It  is  roomy,  so  as  to  admit  of  exercise, 
well  shaded,  and  furnished  with  water,  and  a  sleeping 
house.  A  water  tank  is  indispensable,  and  generally 
there  should  be  a  place  for  bathing. 


BIRD   HOUSES. 


203 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


BIRD    HOUSES. 


It  is  a  mistake  to  have  bird  houses  too  showy  and  too 
much  exposed.  Most  birds  naturally  choose  a  retired 
place  for  their  nests,  and  slip  into  them  quietly,  that  no 
enemy  may  discover  where  they  live.  All  that  is  required 
in  a  bird  house  is,  a  hiding  place,  with  an  opening  Just 


Fig.  211.— HAT  nocsE.  Fig.  212.— keg  house.   Fig.  213.— large  house. 

large  enough  for  the  bird,  and  a  water-tight  roof.  There 
are  so  very  many  ways  in  which  these  may  be  provided, 
any  boy  can  contrive  to  make  all  the  bird  houses  that 
may  be  needed.  An  old  hat,  with  a  hole  for  a  door, 
tacked  by  the  rim  against  a  shed,  as  in  figure  211,  will  be 
occupied  by  birds  sooner  than  a  showy  bird  house. 
Figure  212  shows  how  six  kegs  may  be  placed  together  to 
rest  upon  a  pole  ;  the  kegs  are  fastened  to  the  boards  by 
screws  inserted  from  beneath.     Figure  213  shows  how  a 


204 


BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 


two-story  house  may  be  made  separate  from  two  sliallow 
boxes,  eaeli  divided  into  four  tenements.  Each  box  has 
a  bottom  board,  projecting  two  inches  all  around,  to 
answer  as  a  landing  place.  The  roof  should  be  tight,  and 
the  whole  so  strongly  nailed  that  it  will  not  warp.  It 
should  be  well  painted. 

The  foundation  of  the  house,  shown  in  figure  214,  is 
any  convenient  sized  box,  such  as  may  be  had  at  the 
stores.     A  piece  is  nailed  to  each  end,  cut  to  the  slope 


Fig.  214.— FRAMEWORK  OF  BIRD  HOUSE. 

it  is  desired  to  have  the  roof.  As  the  roof  is  to  be 
thatched,  it  had  better  be  pretty  steep ;  it  will  not  only 
shed  the  rain  the  more  readily,  but  the  house  will  look 
better.  The  upper  end  of  the  pole  which  is  to  support 
the  house  is  made  square  ;  it  passes  througli  a  hole  in 
the  bottom  of  the  box,  and  extends  far  enough  above  the 
ridge  of  the  roof,  to  form  the  chimney.  A  ridge  pole  is 
then  passed  through  tlic  upright  pole  and  thoeiul  jueces, 
as  shown  in  the  figure.  Places  for  the  windows  are  to  be 
cut  out,  but  the  door  may  be  only  a  dummy,  and  painted 
black.      Small  branches  of   any  straight,  easy-splitting 


PIGEON   HOUSES.  205 

wood   are  to  be  cut  of    the  proper  lengths,   and   spht 
lengthwise.     These,  with  the  bark  on,  are  fastened  by 


Fig.  215 — BIKD   HOUSE    COMPLETE. 

small  nails  all  over  the  exterior  of  the  house,  as  shown  in 
figiire  215,  which  gives  this  form  of  bird  house  complete. 

PIGEOX    HOUSES. 

Pigeons  are  valued  both  as  ornamental  birds  and  as 
furnishing  an  exceedingly  delicate  article  of  food.  If 
kept  for  use,  or  if  reared  purely  for  fancy,  pigeons  must 
be  housed  over  the  stable  or  some  outbuilding,  to  se- 
cure them  from  cats,  rats,  weasels,  etc.  This  gives  the 
owner  access  at  all  times  to  the  birds  and  their  nests. 
The  room  is  subdivided  by  lattice-work  partitions,  into 
as  many  apartments  as  are  desirable.  When,  however, 
persons  do  not  desire  to  make  a  business  of  raising  pig- 
eons, and  wish  to  keep  only  one,  or  possibly  two,  orna- 
mental varieties,  it  is  Aery  well  to  make  the  houses  as 
well  as  the  birds  contribute  to  the  ornamentation  of  the 
place.     Herewith  are  given  some  engravings  of  simple 


206  BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

"  pole  houses,"  and  one  which  may  appropriately  be  set, 
as  exhibited,  upon  a  roof.  For  convenience  of  examina- 
tions, pigeon  houses  should  have  the  roof  keyed  on  so  as 


Fig.  216. — BrsTic  pigeon  house. 


to  be  lifted  off.  The  roofs  should  have  wide,  projecting 
eaves  and  gable  ends,  to  keep  out  the  rain.  The  houses 
should  be  fastened  very  securely  by  iron  straps,  shaped 
like  the  letter  L  inverted  ("1),  screwed  to  the  bottom  of 
the  structures,  and  to  the  side  of  the  post.     The  post 


Fig.  217.— LOU    CABIN   PIGEON  HOUSE. 

should  be  very  smooth  for  several  feet  below  the  top,  and 
painted,  to  i)revent  vermin  getting  to  the  pigeons. 
Figure  210  represents  a  simple  house,  twenty  by  twenty 


PIGEON   HOUSES. 


207 


inches,  for  a  single  pair  of  pigeons.  It  has  two 
brooding  rooms,  and  a  vestibule  or  outside  room  con- 
necting them.  This  house,  as  also  the  log  cabin,  figure 
217,  is^onstructed  of  round  and  half  round  sticks  of  as 
nearly  a  uniform  size  as  possible,  which,  after  drying 
with  the  bark  on,  are  tacked  upon  a  box  made  or  adapted 
to  the  purpose.  Figure  218  is  a  Swiss  pigeon  cottage ;  it 
is  a  good  deal  larger  than  the  pole  house,  and  will  accom- 
modate as  many  pairs  of  birds  as  there  are  distinct  apart- 


Fig.  218.— SWISS  PIGEON   COTTAGE. 

ments  No  vestibules  are  provided,  but  each  tenement 
is  big  enough  for  two  nests  if  needed.  T^e  fwi^^ 
cottage  is  very  elaborate,  and  will  require  a  skillful  hand 
and  mtience  to  make  it.  Each  story  of  the  house  should 
be  made  separate,  the  lower  one  at  least  eight  inches 
high,  and  the  lower  piazza  eight  inches  wide.  The  stones 
upon  the  roof  should  be  wired  to  the  cross-strips. 

Those  who  go  into  pigeon  raising  as  a  matter  of  profit, 
should  make  suitable  arrangements  for  the  birds,  and  not 
only  provide  them  with   a  desirable  house,  but  see  to 


208 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


Fig.  320.— INTERIOR  OF   A  LARGli   PIGEON   nOUSE. 


piGEOX  HOUSES.  209 

their  feeding,  and  what  is  quite  imiwrtant,  ensure  pro- 
tection from  cats,  rats,  and  all  other  enemies.  A  house 
of  this  kind  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  engravings. 
The  outside,  figure  219,  is  ten  by  sixteen  feet,  eight  feet 
.  high  at  the  eaves,  with  a  tight,  shingled  roof.  Figure 
220  shows  one  side  of  the  interior,  wliere  there  are  plat- 
forms, K,  K,  upon  which  the  birds  enter,  and  which 
holds  three  nesting  and  hatching  boxes,  P,  P.  A  build- 
of  this  kind  should  be  placed  where  it  can  be  shaded  by 
trees  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  in  a  quiet  place,  where 
the  nesting  birds  will  not  be  disturbed  by  noises.  Be- 
sides abundant  feed,  the  birds  should  be  constantly  sup- 
plied with  water,  and  have  a  mixture  of  salt,  sulphur, 
and  gravel,  placed  where  they  can  always  get  at  it. 


210  BAKN   PLAKS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  PRESERVATION  OF  FODDER  IN  SILOS. 

Silo,  is  the  French  word  for  a  "  pit."  Ensilage  means 
the  putting  into  pits.  As  the  pits  are  built  above 
ground,  they  have  been  called  "tanks,"  and  ''tanking 
of  corn  fodder,"  is  used  to  express  the  ojieration.  The 
preservation  of  green  fodder  in  this  manner  is  by  no 
means  new  ;  clover  has  long  been  similarly  stored,  and  so 
have  beet  leaves  in  the  sugar-beet  fields  of  Europe.  In 
this  country  brewers'  grains,  and  partially  ripe  broom 
corn  seed  have  also  been  thus  preserved.  It  is  the  ap- 
plying to  the  preservation  of  corn  fodder  the  same  prin- 
ciple that  nearly  every  housekeeper  makes  use  of  in  pre- 
serving fruits.  Every  one  knows  that  if  green  corn  fod- 
der, or  other  gi-een  vegetable  matter  be  placed  in  a  heap, 
fermentation  will  take  place  and  decay  soon  follows.  Fer- 
mentation and  decay  require  the  oxygen  of  the  air.  Ex- 
clude the  air  and  these  must  cease.  In  ensilage  the  corn 
is  put  away  with  the  air  excluded  and  it  keeps.  Every 
detail  of  the  operation  has  for  its  object  the  thorough  ex- 
clusion of  the  atmosphere.  The  silos,  or  tanks,  are  tight, 
the  fodder  is  cut  small,  that  it  may  lie  more  compactly,  and 
great  pressure  is  put  upon  the  mass — all  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping  out  the  air  as  completely  as  possible.  That  the 
fodder  tlius  put  up  will  keep  in  excellent  condition  is  an 
established  fact.  It  has  l)ecn  preserved  thus  not  only 
through  the  winter,  but  throughout  a  whole  year. 

EUROPEAN  METHODS   AND   EXPERIMENTS. 

Corn  fodder  is  largely  depended  upon  as  food  for  stock 
over  a  great  extent  of  country,  and  its  use  might  be  made 
well  nigh  universal,  as  no  forage  plant  is  so  easily  grown 


EUEOPEAX   METHODS   AND   EXPEKIMEXTS. 


2U 


as  com.  Could  it  be  preserved  fresh  and  green  for  six 
months  or  more,  instead  of  being  cured  and  used  in  a 
dry  state,  its  value  would  be  greatly  increased.  That  it 
may  be  so  preserved  has  been  shown  by  experiment,  and 
the  process  is  claimed  to  be  easy,  and  very  profitable. 


Fig.  S31.— PIT  BEFORE  OOVEBma. 


Fig.  222.— PIT  APTEK  COVEKTSG. 


Of  late  years,  a  great  number  of  French,  Belgian,  and 
German  farmers  have  adopted  the  plan,  and  some  exten- 
sive stock  feeders  have  used  it  largely  with  the  most 
favorable  results.  Several  communications  by  prominent 
farmers  and  professors  of  agriculture  in  farm  schools, 
have  been  made  to  the  "  Journal  of  Practical  Agricul- 
ture," of  Paris,  from  which  the 
following  facts  have  been  con- 
densed, and  by  the  aid  of  the 
illustrations,  the  methods  in 
use,  with  the  cost,  may  be  learn- 
ed. In  figures  221,  222,  and 
223,  are  shown  the  pits  or  silos, 
as  they  are  filled  with  the  cut 
corn  fodder,  then  covered  with 
earth  and  pressed  down  with 
its  weight ;  finally  the  cut 
fodder  shrinks  to  less  than  half  the  bulk  it  had  at 
first.      The  pits  are  about  seventy-five  feet  long,  nine 


F;q-.  220.— ensilage  pit  afteb 
six  months. 


212  BARN    PLANS   AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 

feet  wide  above,  six  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  six  feet 
deep.  Tlie  sides  and  ends  are  built  up  of  masonry  laid 
in  cement.  In  these  pits  the  corn  stalks  are  laid  evenly 
in  layers  about  eight  inches  in  thickness,  after  hav- 
ing been  cut  and  exposed  to  the  sun  for  two  or  three 
days.  During  this  time  the  stalks  lose  by  exposure  to  the 
sun,  two-fifths  of  their  weight  v/hen  first  cut.  A  quan- 
tity of  salt  is  scattered  over  every  layer  equal  to  about 
sixty-six  pounds  for  each  pit.  The  three  pits  hold  about 
eighty  tons  (seventy-five  thousand  kilos),  of  green  fod- 
der. The  fodder  is  heaped  up  as  shown  in  figure  221,  to 
a  hight  of  six  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 
then  covered  with  earth  to  a  thickness  of  two  or  three 
feet.  Seven  months  after,  one  pit  was  opened  and  the 
fodder  was  found  in  perfect  condition  except  for  an  inch 
or  two  upon  the  surface  and  the  sides,  where  it  was  black 
and  decayed.  Its  color  was  yellow,  its  odor  agreeable, 
but  the  stalks  had  lost  all  their  sweetness,  and  had  ac- 
quired some  degi'ee  of  acidity.  Twenty-four  beeves  were 
then  fed  about  nine  hundred  pounds  daily  of  the  jjrc- 
served  fodder,  or  nearly  forty  pounds  per  head  on  the 
average,  Avliich  was  equal  to  about  sixty  pounds  of  fresh 
green  fodder.  The  fodder  was  eaten  with  great  relish, 
and  only  some  portions  of  the  larger  and  harder  stalks 
were  left,  the  corn  having  been  cut  when  ripe,  and  being 
of  a  large  growing  variety  known  as  the  giant  maize. 
The  second  pit  was  opened  at  the  end  of  ten  months, 
having  been  preserved  equally  well  with  tlie  first.  The 
third  was  not  opened  until  eighteen  months  after  cover- 
ing. The  fodder  Avas  in  as  good  order  as  that  from  the 
other  pits,  excepting  that  the  discolored  and  decayed 
layer  was  somewhat  thicker  in  this  pit  than  in  the  others, 
a  result  attributed  in  a  great  degree  to  the  gravelly  and 
poious  character  of  the  earth  covering,  the  preservation 
being  due  solely  to  the  exclusion  of  air.  In  this  instance 
tlie  fodder  was  preserved  Avhole,  and  the  cost  of  cutting 


EUROPEAN    METHODS   AND    EXPERIMENTS. 


213 


avoided.  But  when  tlie  fodder  has  to  be  cut  for  feed- 
ing, it  has  been  found  economical  to  do  so  before  it  is 
stored.  This  system  has  been  adopted  by  M.  Piret,  the 
ra-auage?  of  a  large  estate  owned  by  M.  A.  Houette,  at 


f-: 


k. 


Bleneau,  in  Belgium.  From  his  statement  it  is  found 
that  he  at  first  made  a  small  experiment,  which  Avas  per- 
fectly successful,  the  cut  fodder  being  Avithdrawn  from 
the  pit  in  most  excellent  condition.    Afterwards  two  pits 


214 


BARN    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


of  masonry  were  erected  above  ground,  protected  at  the 
sides  only  by  banks  of  earth.  These  were  found  equally 
serviceable  with  those  sunk  below  the  surface,  and  much 


more  convenient.  Following  tlie  statement  of  this  gen- 
tleman closely,  it  is  seen  that  by  the  aid  of  about  four 
hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  superphosphate  of  lime  per 


EUROPEAN   METHODS  AND   EXPERIMENTS. 


215 


acre,  lie  obtained  on  fairly  good  soil,  seventy-five  tons 
per  acre  of  green  fodder,  although  the  average  of  his 
crop  was  not  more  than  forty-five  tons  per  acre ;  two 


:.^:.... ;',„.,„..,;  .'lH    i       ,i  .,Ji:5^ 

Fig.  2'26.— GROUND  PLAN  OF   EN^IL Af  i:   PIT. 

hundred  and  fifty  tons  of  this  was  cut  by  a  fodder  cutter 
driven  by  horse  power,  cutting  two  tons  per  hour.  The 
pit  was  built  as  shown  in  figure  224,  which  represents  the 


216  BARN   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

section,  a  dividing  wall  in  the  center  separating  it  into 
two  parts.  The  cut  fodder  falling  into  the  pit  was  car- 
ried in  baskets  upon  a  truck,  on  a  portable  railway,  to  the 
end  of  the  pit,  where  it  was  packed  away  in  sections 
formed  by  a  movable  partition  and  trampled  down 
sightly,  salt  at  the  rate  of  about  two  pounds  to  the  ton 
of  fodder  being  added.  This  pit  is  seen  in  figure  5^25, 
which  represents  it  in  longitudinal  section,  and  in  figure 
226,  that  shows  it  in  plan,  and  in  which  one  division  is 
seen  filled,  and  the  other  in  course  of  filling.  "When  the 
pits  are  filled,  the  fodder  is  covered  with  a  layer  of  fine 
clay  nine  inches  thick,  well  beaten  down.  In  these  fig- 
ures the  parts  are  shown  by  the  following  letters  :  B  is 
the  fodder  cutter  ;  C  the  rail  track  ;  D  the  exterior 
walls  ;  E  the  division  wall  ;  F  the  filled  compartment ; 
G  that  in  course  of  filling.  There  is  a  movable  parti- 
tion in  the  pit  being  filled,  with  a  bar  to  hold  it  in 
position.  The  pit  is  shown  in  figure  224,  covered  with 
a  roof  of  boards  as  protection  from  the  weather,  a  meas- 
ure of  economy  strongly  recommended  by  M.  Piret.  In 
this  figure  the  covering  of  clay  is  shown  on  the  top  of 
the  fodder.  This  is  beaten  down  frcquentl}',  as  it  may 
become  cracked  or  disturbed  by  the  settling  of  the  mass 
beneath. 

The  cost  of  the  process  licre  described  is  represented  as 
being  about  three  dollars  per  ton,  including  the  cutting, 
carrying,  curing,  and  feeding  of  a  crop  e(|ual  to  nearly 
fifty  tons  per  acre  of  green  fodder  (fifty  thousand  kilos 
per  hectare),  being  a  ton  to  less  than  four  square  rods. 
Still  this  yield  is  not  only  frefiuent,  but  it  is  sometimes 
surpassed. 

AN   AMERICAN    SILO    FOR    BREWERS'    GRAINS. 

E.  B.  Brady,  AVestchester  Co.,  N.  Y.,  has  a  silo,  built 
upon  the  same  princii)le  as  those  in  which  the  French 
farmers  preserve  fodder.     They  dilfer  merely,  in   that 


AN   AilERICAK   SILO    FOR    BEEWERS'    GRAINS.       217 

the  Frencli  silos  are  long  aud  narrow,  while  Mr.  Brady's 
is  more  nearly  square  ;  it  is  used  for  storing  brewers' 
grains.  Figure  237  shows  shape  and  mode  of  construct- 
ing the  Westchester  Co.  silo,  and  figure  228  the  manner 
in  which  it  is  used.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  only  differ- 
ence between  the  operation  of  this  and  the  French  silo,  is, 
that  the  former  has  not  so  dense  and  compact  a  covering 
as  the  latter.     A  very  close  covering  is  not  so  essential 


Fi?.  2*27. — VIEW  OF  SILO. 


with  brewers'  grains,  as  with  corn  fodder,  because  they 
pack  much  closer  and  exclude  the  air  better  than  the 
looser  com  stalks.  But  when  the  latter  are  cut  up  into 
chaff,  and  thoroughly  pressed  down,  a  mere  covering 
of  planks,  nicely  jointed  upon  the  edges,  would  be  suffi- 
cient for  the  exclusion  of  the  air  from  the  mass  below. 
It  is  always  preferable  to  cut  the  fodder  into  pieces,  not 
longer  than  one  inch,  for  the  reason  that  it  then  packs 
more  closely  and  the  preservation  is  more  complete.  The 
10 


218 


BARN   PLANS  AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


silo,  shown  in  figure  227,  consists  of  a  sort  of  basement 
cellar,  with  the  door  opening  into  the  cow  stable,  and  the 
rear  sunk  for  the  most  part  beneath  the  ground.  A  road 
passes  the  end  of  it,  where  there  is  a  door,  shown  by- 
dotted  lines,  for  the  purpose  of  unloading  the  grains. 
The  walls  are  of  stone,  and  the  floor  is  of  cement.  The 
silo  is  covered  Avith  an  ordinary  shingle  roof.  The  grains 
are  packed  in  solidly,  until  they  reach  the  level  of  the 
door  at  the  top,  when  they  are  covered  with  boards,  and 
some  straw  is  thrown  over  the  boards.    The  lower  door  is 


I    III    '    I    ^1   LjI   ^i^ 

ir '  .g 

r  '  ~^"^% 


opened  when  the  grain  is  required,  and  it  is  dug  out 
as  bright  as  when  put  in,  but  somewhat  soured.  As  the 
mass  is  cut  away,  nothing  is  done  to  the  surface  which  is 
left  exposed  to  the  air  ;  the  surface  is  made  fresh  every 
day  by  the  removal  of  what  was  left  exposed  tlie  day  be- 
fore. The  same  method  may  be  apjilicd  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  corn  fodder.  As  cut  green  fodder  lies  in  a  looser 
and  more  open  mass  than  grains,  it  would  bo  necessary  to 
have  a  cover,  as  nearly  im])ervious  to  air  as  possible,  for 
use  when  the  silo  is  opened  and  the  preserved  fodder  is 
in  course  of  consumption. 


SILOS  UNDER  STABLES. 


219 


SILOS   UNDER   STABLES. 


Two  brothers,  named  Buckley,  of  Port  Jervis,  N.  Y. 
have  large  silos,  made  as  described  below.     It  had  been 
their  custom  for  years  to  put  in  a  large  area  of  sowed  corn     * 


-Tx^^^^m^ 


Flf^.  2'29.— SECTIONAL  VIEW  OF   STABLE  AND  FODDER  PITS. 

which  was  cut  and  put  up  for  curing  in  stooks,  and  after- 
wards housed  or  stacked  near  the  barns.  Latterly  they 
have  had  a  larger  area  than  usual,  a  good  part  of  which  they 
put  doAvn  in  pits  for  winter  feeding.  This  matter  of  pit- 
ting or  ensilaging  corn  fodder  has  been  carefully  investi- 
gated by  them,  and  they  have  made  two  pits  under  the 
cow  bam  floor.  These  pits,  figure  229,  are  twenty-two  feet 
long,  nine  feet  Avide,  and  fifteen  and  one-half  feet  deep, 
side  by  side,  with  a  two-foot  wall  between  them.     They 


220 


BAR]S'   PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


are  walled  all  around,  cemented  water  tight,  and  would 
answer  well  as  cisterns.  These  two  are  recently  built, 
but  there  is  an  old  one,  ten  feet  wide,  fifty  feet  long,  and 
seven  feet  deep,  Avliich  is  under  the  feeding  floor.  The 
location  of  these  pits  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  plan, 
figure  230.  The  cow  barn  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
long,  by  thirty  feet  wide.  The  feeding  floor  is  ten  feet 
wide,  and  the  standing  space  for  the  cows  is  the  same 
width  on  each  side.  There  is  room  for  thirty-six  cows  in 
this  stable,  up  to  the  barn  floor.  The  floor,  the  stalls 
and  all,  from  side  to  side,  are  used  for  the  filling  of  the 
pits. 


Fig.  230.— FLOOR  PLAN  OF  BARN,  CATTLE  STABLES,  ETC. 


The  feed  cutter  stands  directly  behind  the  horse  power, 
and  is  driven  by  a  pair  of  mules,  cutting  the  stalks  in 
half-inch  pieces,  at  the  rate  of  two  tons  an  hour.  Three 
men  are  required  to  tend  the  cutter,  taking  the  corn  from 
the  wagon,  feeding  it  to  the  cutter,  and  seeing  that  it 
is  properly  sliunted  off  into  the  ])its,  where  one  man 
spreads  it  as  evenly  as  i)ossible,  and  tramps  it  down.  At 
noon  and  evening  half  a  dozen  men  get  into  the  tanks, 
and  tramp  tlie  fodder  down  ;is  firmly  as  they  can.  Thus 
tlie  labor  required  is  as  follows  :  two  teams  and  one  driver, 
four  men  in  the  barn  and  three  in  the  field  ;  eight  men  in 
all  can  ]iut  in  about  twenty  tons  a  day.     When  packed 


SILOS   UNDER  STABLES.  221 

in  the  pits,  a  strong  fermentation  very  soon  sets  in.  The 
corn  packed  the  day  before  is  steaming  hot,  no  doubt 
having  a  temperature  of  one  hundred  and  ten  to  one 
hundred  and  twenty  degrees  Fahrenheit.  It  has  a  vinous 
odor  which  is  very  sweet  and  pleasant.  Mr.  Buckley 
gives  the  figures  of  the  cost  of  these  two  pits  as  follows : 

Digging,  112  dajs  work  at  SI §112  00 

Masons'  bill W  44 

Men  to  assist  the  masons,  12  days  work 12  00 

Bill  for  Lime  and  Cement 78  10 

Total  outlay $290  54 

This  does  not  include  anything  for  stone,  inasmuch  as 
the  stones  taken  out  of  the  pit  were  more  than  amply 
sufficient  for  the  walls.  Furthermore  no  charge  is  made  for 
superintendence,  and  doubtless  it  would  be  fair  to  add 
fully  ten  per  cent  for  supervision,  and  actual  labor, 
which  at  one  time  or  another  the  farmer  himself  gave, 
or  say  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  in  all. 
There  were  fifty  barrels  of  cement  used,  and  about  half 
as  much  lime,  part  of  which,  eight  barrels,  was  very  good, 
and  the  rest,  fifty  bushels,  cheap  and  of  a  low  grade.  The 
proportion  of  sand  to  cement  and  lime  in  the  mortar 
with  which  the  walls  were  Jaid  up,  was  about  two  to  tliree, 
but  in  coating  over  the  surface  to  make  the  whole  water 
tight,  nearly  pure  cement  was  used.  Thus  the  pits  were 
filled,  each  one  receiving  its  quota  of  ten  tons,  more  or 
less,  being  well  trodden  down,  allowed  to  settle  over  night 
and  again  trodden  down  in  the  morning  before  work — 
all  hands  being  engaged  in  the  tramping.  When  the 
pit  is  full,  settled  and  tramped,  and  begins  to  heat  in 
the  top  layers,  it  is  covered  with  six  inches  of  long  rye 
straw  [any  other  straw  will  answer],  and  this,  with  a  layer 
of  planks,  cut  to  fit  crossways,  but  not  so  long  as  to  bind. 
Stones  are  piled,  or  rather  laid  upon  the  planks,  so  that 
fully  one  hundred  pounds  to  the  square  foot  rest  upon 


332  BARN   PLANS   AXD   OUTBUILDINGS. 

the  fodder.     Thus  it  is  left  for  winter  use.     Filled  full, 
one  of  these  pits  Avill  hold  sixty  tons. 

As  to  the  keeping,  there  can  be  no  question,  if  the  work 
is  properly  done.  A  brisk  fermentation  comes  on,  as  it 
does  in  a  tub  of  apjjle  pulp  for  making  eider.  If  the 
air  has  very  slight  access,  it  will  go  on  to  ultimate  decay ; 
but  if  it  is  kej)t  out,  the  little  air  at  first  present  is  driven 
off  by  the  carbonic  acid  gas  which  is  formed,  and  the 
mass  ceases  to  ferment,  and  remains  as  if  it  were  in  an 
air  tight  case.  There  is,  however,  a  slight  access  of  air 
upon  the  surface,  and  its  action  upon  the  juices  in  the 
straw  and  upper  layer  of  fodder  is  just  enough  to  main- 
tain an  atmosphere  of  carbonic  acid  gas  over  the  mass. 
The  stable  is  over  the  pits,  and  there  is  no  going  out  in 
storms  and  "slush"  and  ice  to  haul  in  the  fodder  from 
out-of-door  pits.  The  floor  is  taken  up  over  a  sufficient 
space,  and  enough  feed  removed  from  one  end  for  two 
days.  Rul)ber  blankets,  tarpaulins,  canvas,  or  any  coarse 
cloth,  painted  with  boiled  oil,  would  be  excellent  to  pack 
close  down  upon  the  fodder,  to  exclude  the  air.  It  is  very 
important  to  know  for  a  certainty  that  there  is  no  settling 
of  carbonic  acid  gas  in  the  pit,  after  a  considerable  oi)en- 
ing  has  been  made.  A  man  going  into  a  place  fillod  with 
this  gas,  as  often  in  deep  wells,  is  overpowered  before  he 
knows  it,  falls,  and  drowns  as  surely  as  if  he  were  under 
water,  and  is  even  less  likely  to  be  resuscitated.  The  way 
to  know  whether  one  can  enter  with  safety,  is  to  lower 
a  lantern,  which,  if  it  burns  freely,  shows  that  there  is 
not  a  dangerous  proportion  of  gas  in  the  air  of  the  pit. 

SOUR    FODDER   MAKING. 

It  is  known  to  every  farmer,  how  difficult  is  the  pre- 
serving of  roofs  in  the  winter,  and  that  large  (inantities 
of  them  are  injured  and  therefore  spoil.  To  avoid  this, 
cure  the  beets  and  other  roots  with  chaff,  as  sour  fodder. 


SOUR  FODDER  MAKING. 


223 


This  methed  of  using  root  fodder  has  been  practised  on 
hirge  farms  in  Hungary  for  some  years,  and  has  always 
been  successful.  Sour  fodder  is  made  as  follows  :  A 
pit  is  constructed  in  a  dry  place  ;  the  beets  are  taken  up 
in  the  usual  manner,  hauled  in,  washed,  and  cut  with  a 
machine.  The  pit  may  be  divided  into  sections,  for  in- 
stance, for  a  length  of  ten  rods  into  five  sections,  and  by 
this  division  the  labor  is  very  much  facilitated,  because 
the  first  section  can  be  covered  with  earth,  while  the 
second  section  is  being  filled.  When  a  certain  quantity 
of  beets  has  been  cut,  a  layer  of  chaff  is  placed  upon  the 


Fig.  231. — PIT  OF  SOUR  FODDEB. 

ground  of  the  first  section.  Upon  this  chaff  is  placed  a 
layer  of  cut  beets,  in  the  proportion  of  one  pound  of 
chaff  to  ten  pounds  of  cut  beets  ;  these  two  layers  are 
then  solidly  mixed  with  a  fork.  After  this  has  been  done, 
chaff  and  beets  are  again  laid  down,  and  again  well 
mixed.  This  is  repeated  until  the  mixture  reaches  the , 
top  of  the  pit ;  then  it  must  be  built  upward  from 
six  to  nine  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ground  and  a 
few  sheaves  of  rye  straw  are  laid  on  top  of  the  stack, 
to  prevent  the  fodder  from  being  mixed  with  the  soil ; 
then  the  sections  are  covered  with  earth.  The  engraving, 
figure  231,  shows  the  whole  arrangement. 


224  BAr.:N^  plans  akd  outbuildings. 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

ROOT  CELLARS  AND  ROOT  HOUSES. 

The  leading  features  of  a  good  root  cellar  are  :  cheap  • 
ness,  nearness  to  the  place  where  the  roots  are  consumed, 
dryness,  ventilation,  and,  above  all,  it  should  be  frost- 
proof. If  a  hillside  is  handy,  it  can  aid  much  in  se- 
curing all  of  these  important  points.  First  make  an  ex- 
cavation in  the  hillside,  in  size  according  to  the  desired 
capacity  of  the  cellar.  Erect  in  this  excavation  a  stout 
frame  of  timber  and  planks,  or  of  logs,  which  latter  are 
often  cheaper.  Over  this  frame  construct  a  strong  roof. 
Throw  the  earth,  which  has  been  excavated,  over  the 


1) 


Fig.  232. — cuoss  section  of  koot  cellar. 

structure  until  the  whole  is  covered,  top  and  all,  to  a 
depth  of  two  feet  or  more.  A  door  should  be  provided 
upon  the  exposed  side  or  end.  This  door  may  be  large 
enough  to  enter  Avithout  stooping.  Or  it  may  be  sim]ily  a 
"  man  liole,"  which  is  better  than  a  regular  door,  so  far 
as  protection  from  frost  is  concerned,  but  not  so  conven- 
ient for  putting  in  and  taking  out  roots.  Sometimes, 
when  the  bank  is  a  stiff  clay,  such  houses  arc  built  with- 
out constructing  any  side  walls,  the  roof  resting  directly 
on  tlic  clay.     A  cross  section  of  such   a  root  cellar  is 


ROOT   CELLARS   AXD   ROOT   HOUSES.  225 

shown  in  figure  232.  In  such  cases,  the  facing,  or  front, 
of  the  cellar  may  be  built  up  with  planks,  logs,  or  stones, 
as  circumstances  determine.  In  figure  233  a  facing  of 
stone  is  shown.  This  is  a  large  cellar  provided  with  a  wide 
door ;  it  has  also  a  window  on  each  side.  Two  tight 
fences,  of  stakes  and  planks,  two  feet  apart,  with  earth 
filled  in  between,  or  of  logs,  or  stout  rails  used  in 
the  same  manner,  make  a  cheaper  front,  and  is  a  better 
protection  against  cold  than  stone.  If  there  is  no  hill- 
side convenient,  a  knoll  or  other  dry  place  should  be  se- 
lected, and  the  soil  removed  over  a  space  a  trifle  larger 
than  the  ground  plan  of  the  house,  and  to  the  depth  of 
two  feet  or  more,  provided  there  is  no  danger  that  the 


Fig.  233,— STONE  FACIUa  op  TTn.T.SrDB  CELLAR. 

bottom  will  be  wet.  In  the  construction  of  the  house, 
select  poles  or  logs  of  two  sizes,  the  larger  ones  being 
shortest  ;  these  are  for  the  inside  pen,  as  it  is  subjected  to 
greater  strain.  The  ends  of  the  logs  are  cut  flat,  so  that 
they  will  fit  down  closely  together,  and  make  a  pen  that 
is  nearly  tight.  At  least  two  logs  in  each  layer  of  the 
inner  pen  should  be  cut  long  enough  to  pass  through  and 
fit  into  the  outer  pen,  to  serve  to  fasten  the  two  walls  to- 
gether— the  space  between  the  two  being  two  feet  on  each 
side.  Figure  234  shows  the  excavation,  and  beginning  of 
the  root-house  walls,  with  the  method  of  ''locking ''  them 
together.     The  doorway  is  built  up  by  having  short  logs. 


'3^U  BARN   PLAXS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 

which  i^ass  from  one  layer  of  poles  to  the  other,  and 
serve  as  supports  to  the  ends  of  the  wall  poles.  This  is 
shown  in  figure  235,  where  the  house  is  represented  as 
completed.  The  space  between  the  two  walls  is  filled 
with  earth,  sods  being  used  to  fill  in  between  the  logs  to 


Fi;?.  234.— EXCAVATION  and  base  of  root  house. 

block  the  earth.  It  is  best  to  begin  putting  in  the  earth 
before  the  walls  are  completed,  as  otherwise  it  will  re- 
quire an  undue  amount  of  hard  lifting.  When  the  walls 
are  built  up  five  to  six  feet  on  one  side,  and  about  two 
feet  higher  on  the  other,  to  give  the  necessary  slope,  the 


Fig.  235. — BOOT  HOUSE  completed, 

roof  is  put  on.  The  latter  should  be  of  poles  placed 
close  together,  well  secured  to  the  logs,  and  covered  Avith 
sod,  eighteen  inches  of  earth,  and  sodded  again  on  the 
top.  Two  doors  should  be  provided,  one  on  the  inner, 
and  the  other  on  the  outer  wall,  both  to  fit  closely.     A 


A   FIELD    ROOT   CELLAR. 


227 


tilling  of  straw  can  be  placed  between  the  doors,  if  it  is 
found  necessary  to  do  so  in  order  to  keep  out  the  frost. 
Figure  235  shows  the  root  house  as  thus  constructed,  and 
is  a  structure  that  will  last  for  many  years,  paying  for  its 
moderate  cost  many  times  over. 

A   FIELD   KOOT   CELLAR. 

A  Field  Root  Cellar  may  be  cheaply  built,  from  the 
following  directions  :  Dig  in  dry  ground  a  trench  five 
feet  deep,  eight  feet  wide,  and  ten  feet  longer  than  it  is 
intended  to  make  the  cellar.     Along  each  side,  one  and 


Fig.  236. — CROSS  SECTION  OF  A  FIELD  ROOT  CELLAR. 

one-half  feet  below  the  surface,  cut  out  a  groove  such  as 
is  shown  at  g,  g,  in  figure  236,  so  as  to  form  an  oblique 
support  for  a  board  eight  inches  wide  lying  against  its 
lower  side.  Procure  for  rafters  either  light  chestnut 
posts,  or  two  by  five  spruce  joists;  saw  them  to  a  length  of 
five  feet,  and  set  up  a  pair  (spiked  together  at  the  top) 
every  three  feet  of  the  length  of  the  building.  Nail 
cheap  boards  or  slabs  on  top  of  these  rafters,  so  as  to 
completely  cover  it.  Openings  an  inch  wide  between  the 
boards  will  do  no  harm.  Cover  this  roof  twelve  or  eigh- 
teen inches  thick  with  earth,  and  sod  it  neatly,  drawing 
the  sod  on  each  side  to  a  gutter,  h,  h,  which  wiU  lead 


228  BAKX    PLAXS   AND    OUTBCILPINGS. 

away  the  water  of  rains.  The  cuds  may  be  closed  Avith 
double  boarding  filled  in  with  sawdust,  leaves,  sea  weed 
or  other  litter,  and  provided  with  doors  wide  enough  to 
admit  a  bushel  basket.  The  gable  over  the  tops  of 
the  doors  should  be  left  open  for  ventilation,  or,  what 
is  better,  supplied  with  movable  shutters.  "Figure  237 
shows  the  longitudinal  section  of  such  a  cellar  about 
thirty  feet  long,  with  an  area  five  feet  long  at  each  end, 
having  steps,  b,  a,  for  the  approach.  The  earthen  wall 
of  the  cellar  is  shown  at  c,  d  the  board  roof,  e  the  earth 
covering,  and  /,  the  rafters.  In  light  soils  it  will  be 
necessary  to  place  a  stone,  brick,  or  post  and  board  wall 


237. — LENGTHWISE  SECTION  OF  BOOT  CELLAB. 


against  the  side  of  the  cellar,  and  similar  protection 
should  always  be  given  to  the  area  at  the  ends.  Such  a 
cellar  will  last  for  twenty  years,  and  is  thoroughly  frost 
proof.  If  made  thirty  feet  long  it  will  hold,  being  filled 
only  to  the  eaves,  about  seven  hundred  liushels.  It  may, 
of  course,  be  made  wider  and  higher,  and  have  root  bins 
on  each  side  with  a  passage  way  between  them. 

PITS   FOR   STORING   ROOTS. 

Wlien  properly  put  away  in  pits,  roots  of  all  kinds 
keep  better  than  when  stored  in  cellars.  The  chief  diffi- 
culties in  the  way  of  keeping  roots  in  i)its  are,  the  danger 
that  frost  will  penetrate  the  covering,  and  the  risk  of 
heating  for  Avant  of  ventilation.  15y  tlie  use  of  board 
coverings  sliown  in  figure  238,  these  difficulties  may, 
with  care,  l)e  whoUv  removed.     The  coverimj  boards  are 


PITS    FOIt   STOKING    ROOTS. 


2:^9 


made  of  a  length  to  cover  one  side  of  the  pit,  and  of 
such  a  width  as  to  be  handy  and  portable.  Six  feet 
S([uare  will  be  found  a  convenient  size.  The  cheapest 
kind  of  boards  will  answer  the  purpose.  These  are  cut 
into  the  required  lengths  and  nailed  to  cross  pieces  or 
cleats  at  least  four  or  six  inches  wide,  placed  edgewise,  as 
shown  in  figure  238.  When  the  roots  are  heaped  in  the 
usual  manner,  and  covered  with  straw  placed  up  and 
down  on  the  heaps,  the  boards  are  laid  on  the  straw  so 


Fiff.  23S.— SHUTTER  FOS  PIT.  Fig.  2GS.— SECTIOX   OF  FTXISHED  PIT. 


that  they  nearly  meet  on  the  top,  as  shown  in  figure  239. 
Space  is  left,  through  which  the  ends  of  the  stravy^  pro- 
ject. The  straw  is  turned  down  over  the  edges  of  the 
boards  when  the  earth  is  thrown  on  them.  The  boards 
are  placed  upon  the  straw,  with  the  cleats  down,  and  so 
that  they  lie  horizontally.  There  is  then  an  air  space  of 
four  to  six  inches  besides  the  thickness  of  straw  as  a 
protection  to  the  roots.  In  addition  there  may  be  as 
thick  a  covering  of  earth  thrown  upon  the  boards  as  may 
be  required.  In  many  places  no  eartli  Avill  be  needed, 
but  it  will  always  be  useful  in  keeping  the  roots  at  an 
even  temperature,  and  so  lov  that  they  will  not  sprout 
or  heat.     If  a  covering  of  earth  is  put  on,  the  projecting 


230 


BAIIN    PLANS   AND   OUTBUILDINGS. 


straw  should  be  turned  down  on  the  opposite  side  to  that 
on  which  it  is  laid,  and  the  ends  covered  with  earth. 
The  extreme  top  of  the  heap  need  not  be  covered  at  all 
unless  severe  cold  is  expected,  when  a  few  j^laces  should  be 
left  uncovered  for  ventilation.  Figure  240  shows  a  root 
pit  for  use  in  the  open  prairies,  where  shelter  is  scarce, 
and  the  means  of  building  are  not  abundant.  An  exca- 
vation is  made  in  the  ground  six  or  seven  feet  deep,  and 


Fig.  240.— PBAIRIE  BOOT  CEI-LAB. 

as  wide  as  may  be  suitable  to  the  length  of  the  poles  with 
which  it  is  to  be  covered.  The  length  Avill  be  according 
to  the  necessities  of  the  builder.  It  is  covered  with  rough 
poles,  over  which  some  coarse  hay  is  thrown.  The  sod, 
which  should  be  cut  from  the  surface  in  strips  with  the 
plow  and  an  axe,  is  then  laid  closely  on  the  toj^  and 
earth  is  heaped  over  the  sod.  A  man  hole  at  one  corner, 
or,  if  it  is  a  long  cellar,  in  the  middle,  is  constructed  with 
small  ])oles  and  about  two  feet  high.  A  ladder  or  row  of 
steps  is  made  from  tliis  to  the  bottom.  Tiie  man  hole 
Avhcn  not  used  is  filled  with  straw  or  hay,  which  is  thrown 


A    CAVE   roil    KOOTS.  231 

upon  a  loose  door  or  boards  resting  upon  the  logs,  and  a 
stone  or  log  is  laid  upon  the  straw  to  keep  it  from  being 
blown  away.  Openings  may  be  made  along  the  side  oppo- 
site to  the  entrance  through  which  the  roots  or  potatoes 
may  be  shovelled  or  dumped.  These  openings  may  be 
closed  with  sods  and  earth  during  the  winter. 

A   CAVE   FOll   ROOTS. 

An  oblong  cellar  is  dug  twenty-four  feet  in  length, 
about  twelve  feet  wide  and  three  feet  deep.  This  is 
planked  around  with    ordinary  slabs    and   roofed  over 


Fig,  2il. — CAVE  FOB  BOOTS. 

with  the  same  material.  The  sides  and  roof  are  covered 
Avith  the  earth  thrown  out  of  the  cellar,  and  is  then 
sodded  over,  appearing  as  shown  in  the  annexed  en- 
graving, figure  241.  The  door  is  double,  and  steps  are 
provided  to  descend  to  it.  For  such  a  cave  it  is  not 
necessary  to  dig  into  a  hillside  ;  the  north  end,  however, 
should  be  protected  by  extra  covering.  Caves  of  this 
kind  are  often  the  only  kind  that  the  pioneer  can  pro- 
vide, and  they  will  frequently  be  found  useful  on  old 
farms.     It    is   far  better  to  have    a  cave  like    this  for 


232  BAKX    PLANS    AND    OUTBUILDINGS. 

roots  than  to  store  them  in  the  cellar  of  the  house.  Un- 
less on  loose,  sandy,  or  very  dry  land,  special  care  should 
be  taken  to  have  all  water  conducted  away,  either  by 
good,  deep  drains,  or  by  grading  the  surface  around  to 
carry  rain  water  to  a  distance,  or  by  both  of  these 
methods,  if  necessary. 

PRESERVING    ROOTS   IN   HEAPS. 

The  pits  for  roots  may  be  made  in  the  field  where  the 
crop  is  harvested,  or  in  a  yard  or  field  near  the  barn.  A 
slightly  elevated  spot  should  be  chosen  which  will  be  dry 


ris.  24:i.— BUILDING   A  ROOT  HEAP. 

at  all  seasons.  On  this  the  roots  should  he  heaped  in  a 
pile  about  six  feet  wide  at  the  bottom  and  four  feet  high, 
sloping  to  a  point  at  the  top,  as  shown  in  figure  242. 
The  heap  may  be  made  of  any  length,  or  the  roots  may 
be  phiced  in  several  heaps. 

The  roots  should  not  be  put  up  until  tliey  have  dried 
somewhat,  or  be  covered  with  earth  until  there  is  immi- 
nent danger  of  frost.  There  is  then  mueli  less  risk  of 
heating  and  decay  than  Avlien  they  arc  covered  before  be- 
coming dry.  The  straw  covering  should  l)e  a  foot  thick. 
A  foot  of  straw  and  three  inches  of  earth  are  better  than 
a  foot  of  earth  and  three  inches  of  straw.  The  straw 
should  l)e  laid  on  straight  and  evenly  so  as  to  shed 
lain.     It  ought  to  be  gathered  closely  at  the  top  for  the 


PRESERVIXG    ROOTS   IN   HEAPS. 


233 


same  reason.  The  covering  of  earth,  free  from  stones, 
should  be  about  six  inches  thick,  laid  on  compactly  and 
well  beaten  down,  as  shown  in  figure  243.  At  spaces  of 
about  six  feet  apart  there  should  be  wisps  of  straight 
,  straw  placed  upright  and  projecting  through  the  earth 
covering.  These  are  for  ventilators,  and  serve  to  carry 
off  the  moisture  and   heat  from  the  roots  during  the 


•  Fig.  243.— COVERING  HEAP  WITH  EARTH. 

sweating  or  fermentation  which  they  are  sure  to  undergo 
to  some  extent.  One  of  these  pits  may  be  opened  at  any 
time  during  the  winter  in  moderate  Aveatlier,  and  when  a 
stock  of  roots  sufficient  to  last  a  week  has  been  taken 
out  it  may  be  closed  again,  care  being  had  that  it  is  done 
as  quickly  as  possible. 


INDEX. 


Barn,  A  Good  Farm 29 

"    A  Missouri 27 

"     An  Ohio 23 

"    Another  Small 41 

"    for  Mixed  Farming 33 

"    Mr.  C.  S.  Sargent's 37 

"    Mr.  David  Lyman's 13 

"    Mr.  Lawson  Valentine's. .  19 

"    Plan  for  a  Small 39 

"    The  "Echo  Farm" 42 

"    Cattlo,  A 43 

"        "       A  Western 47 

"         "        A  SecondWestern  48 
"         "        Cheap, with  Sheds  55 

"    Daily,  An  Extension 63 

"        "       An  Orange  Co 01 

"        "       A  Westchester  Co.  59 

"    Sheep,  A  Convenient 74 

"        "        Virginia 80 

Barns,  General  Farm 13 

Bin,  A  Measuring  Grain 184 

"    Convenient  Grain 186 

Cave  for  Roots 231 

Cellar,  Barn 19 

Cellar,  A  Field  Root 227 

Cellars,  Root  and  Root  Houses. 224 

Cisterns 54 

Cover  for  Corn  Cnbs l58 

Crib,  A  Self-feeding  Corn T37 

Corn,  Curing 128 

Dairy,  A  Butter 16i 

"      A  Penn.sylvania 166 

Door,  A  Swinging  for  a  Piggery.124 
"      Self-closing  for  Pigpen . .  123 

"      to  Sheep  Bam 76 

Duck  Raisi.ig 99 

Fodder,  European  Experiments 

in  Preserving 210 

"      Making  Sour.. 222 

2U    ^ 


Fowls,  Winter  Care  of ICO 

Granary  and  Corn  Crib 1»3 

"      Another  with  Bins 183 

"      with  its  Grain  Bins 177 

Granaries 177 

Hay  Forks  and  Travellers 15 

House,   A  Combined  Carriage 

and  Tool 125 

"        Corn,  An  Improved 130 

"  "    Another  Wcsternl34 

"  "    The  Connecticut. 128 

"        Ice,  A  Cheap 144 

"  *'    and  Summer  Dairy 

Combined 160 

"  "    in  the  Barn 151 

"  "    A  Small 147 

"  "    Plan  of  an 141 

"        Poultry,  A  Cheap  and 

Convenient 86 

"  "       An  Ohio 88 

"  "       Another  Cheap  90 

"  "       For  a  Number 

of  Breeds....  94 
"        Smoke,  A  Convenience 

for 194 

"  "        A  Convenient.  187 

"  "        Substitute  for.  190 

"        Spring,    Dome-Shaped 

Concrete 173 

Houses,  Bud  203 

"        Corn  and  Cribs 128 

"  "    Western 131 

Dairy 160 

Duck 99 

"        Ice,  and  Cool  Charabersl54 

"  "    Underground 149 

' '        Pigeon 205 

"        Poultry 86 

"  "  for  Four  Varieties  91 


IXDEX. 


2oo 


Houses,  Poultry,  Hillside 96 

Spring 170 

Smoke 187 

"        Cheap 191 

"        Improved 183 

Ice,  Its  Uses  and  Importance.  .140 

"    Cutting 140 

"    Without  Houses 153 

Kenneis,  Dog 199 

"        Farm  Dog 200 

Manure  Gutters 16 

Milk  Room 165 

Mortar 35 

Oven  and  Smoke  House 195 

Pens  and  Yards  for  150  Hogs. . .  115 

Pigpen,  A  Cheap 122 

"        A  Comfortable  113 

"       A  Convenient  Farm.. ..108 

"        A  Portable 118 

"        A,  and  Tool  House 121 

"        and  Hen  House  Com- 
bined  119 

Pigpens  of  Mr.  Wm.  Crozier...lll 

Pigsreries 104 

Piggery,  Plan  of  a 104 

Pits  for  Storing  Roots 228 

Poultry  Keeping 86 

Refrigerator,  A  Chamber 158 

Roosts  for  Fowls  93 


Roots  in  Heaps 232 

Shed,  A  Temporary  Cattle 56 

"    Cow,  and  Pigpen 57 

'•'    for  Soiling  Sheep 78 

Sheds  and  Barns,  Cheap  Cattle.  52 

"    Sheep,  and  Racks 77 

Shelter,  A  Kansas  Sheep 81 

"        An  Archway 67 

"        Sheep,  on  the  Plains..  84 

Shelters,  Cattle 66 

"        Cattle,  on  the  Plains..  71 
"        Cheap,  Teraporar}'. ..  68 

Sills  of  Barn 45 

Silo,  An  American  for  Brewers' 

Grains 2I6 

Silos,  Preservation  of  Fodder  in. 210 

*'     under  Stables 219 

Spout,  Sliding  for  Bam  or  Gran- 
ary  185 

Spring  House 170 

Stalls,  Covered  for  Cattle 50 

"     Box 18 

"     for  Cattle 16 

"     for  Horses 22 

Stove  for  a  Poultry  House 102 

Ventilation  and  Light 18 

Warming  Poultry 102 

Yards  for  Cattle 16 


A  CoinpanioD  Bool  for  Ban  Plais  ai  Oitliiiliinp. 
FAEM  HOMES, 

iK-DOOPvS  a:^d  otjt-dooes: 

By   E.   H.   LELAND. 

ILLUSTRATED. 

This  is  a  most  charming  book  and  should  bo  in  every  farm  home  iu  the  land. 
It  is  written  in  a  most  captivating  style  by  a  writer  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  subjects  ti-eated.  Every  page  abounds  in  valuable  hints  and  suggestions, 
communicated  in  an  entertaining,  narrative  form.  The  volume  is  very  hand- 
somely printed  on  tinted  paper,  bound  in  extra  cloth,  beveled  edges,  black 
and  gold. 

Present  it  to  Your  Wife.     Present  it  to  Your  Husband. 

Present  it  to  Your  Children.    Present  it  to  Your  Friends. 

THREE    SAMPLE    CHAPTERS. 

CHAPTER   I  —Building. 

The  Site— The  Plan— The  Four  Esscuti.nls— Sunlight— Ilalls-Bath-rooms— 
Ventilation— Drainage  and  Preventable  Filth. 

CHAPTER   II.— FiKisniXG. 

Calcimine— An  Excellent  Whitewash— Borders— Wood-work— Mantels— Hall 
Windows. 

CHAPTER   III.— FuRNisniNo. 

The  Sparc  Bedroom— The  Boys"  Room— The  Old  People's  Room— Mother's 
Room— The  Girls"  Room— The  Dining  room— The  Parlor. 

In  addition  there  are  entcrtaininy  and  instructive  Chapters  7/]X>n  thefoUotcing, 
among  other  topics  : 

Farmers' Wives.  — Farm  Neighborhoods. —The  Dairy-room  and  Butter-Mak- 
ing.—Window  Plants.— The  Vegetable  Garden.- Small  Fruits  and  Garden  Fruit 
Trees.— The  Best  Foods  and  some  Best  Methods  of  Preparing  Them.— A  Few 
Simple  Luxuries. 

Altogether  good.— -V.  Y.  Evening  Post. 

Contains  many  valuable  hints  and  suggestions,  and  written  in  a  sprightly 
and  interesting  !^ty\c.~ Coiintnj  Gentleman.  Albany,  N.  Y. 

We  like  the  volume,  and  recommend  \l.—  Congregationalist,  Boston. 

Brimful  of  hints  for  the  construction  of  healtliy  homes.  An  excellent  book 
that  will  be  found  useful  in  other  than  Farm  Houses.— A'.  Y.  Coinmcrciid 
Adrcrf/si  r. 

Will  be  a  very  popular  book,  instructing  thousands  of  readers  around  city 
as  well  as  country  firesides. --^/u/c  JoKruul,  Madison,  Wis. 

Entertaining,  instructive,  and  very  neatly  published.— Z/o/i'.s-  Herald,  Bos- 
ton, Mass. 

PRICE,    POST-PAID,    ?l.r)0. 

ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY,  751  Broadway,  New  York. 


A  Coipanion  Boot  for  Barn  Plans  M  OitluMinES. 


HOUSE    PLANS 


FOR 


EVERYBODY. 

ONE    HtTNDRED    AND    SEVENTY-FIVE    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

By  S.  B.  REED,  Architect. 

This  is  a  valuable  work  which  meets  the  wants  of  persons  of  moderate 
means,  and  will,  it  is  believed,  prove  one  of  the 

Most  Popular  Architectural  Books 

ever  issued.  It  contains  forty  chapters  and  gives  a  wide  ranfjo  of  design  from  a 
dwelling  costing  gCSO  up  to  J'S.liOO,  and  adapted  to  farm,  village,  and  town 
residences.  Nearly  all  of  these  jilaiis  have  been  tested  by  practical  workings. 
They  provide  for  heating,  ventilation,  etc.,  and  give  a  large  share  of  what  arc 
ciillcd  Modem  Improvements.  One  feature  of  the  work  imparts  a  value  over 
any  similar  publiaitions  of  the  kind  that  we  have  seen.    It  gives  an 

Estimate  of  the  Quantity  of  every  Article  Used 

in  the  construction,  and  the  cos:  of  each  material  at  the  time  the  building  was 
erected,  or  ihe  design  made.  Even  if  prices  vary  from  time  to  time,  one  can, 
from  these  data,  ascertain  within  a  few  dollars,  the  probable  cost  of  construct- 
ing any  one  of  the  buildings  here  presented. 

Well  calculated  to  aid  all  in  the  designing  and  construction  of  tlicir  bones. 
—Pacific  liural. 

A  valuable  book  for  builders,  as  it  furnishes  the  best  and  latest  improved 
designs.—  Western  Agriculturist. 

SV'cll  executed;  whoever  thinks  of  building  a  new  IIousc,  or  of  alt?r:ng  an 
old,  will  find  this  a  cheap  book  to  have  in  the  library.  It  will  also  be  a  valuable 
book  to  landscape  gUTAaacTS.— Gardener's  Monthlij,  Philadelphia. 

No  one  can  examine  such  a  work  as  this  without  gaining  many  times  the 
cost  of  the  book  in  hints  and  ideas,  which  may  be  worked  into  one's  own 
house.— iVcw  Enoland  Farmer. 

12mo.    Cloth.    Tinted  Paper.    Black  and  Gold.    PHTCR.  POST-PAID,  S'-SO. 

ORANGE  JUDD  COMPANY,  751  Broadway,  New  York. 


NEW  AMEBIGAN  FARM  BOOK. 

OBIGINALLT  BY 

AUTHOB  OP    "diseases  OF  DOMESTIC  AXIMALS,"    AND  fOBUEBLT  3DIT0B  OJ 

THE    "AMEBICAN  AGBICULTUBIST." 

REVISED  AND  ENLAKGED  BY 

H-ET^IS     F.    ALLEN, 

AUTHOR  OP   "AMERICAN   CATTLE,"   EDITOB  OF  THE    "AMEBICAN  SHOBT-HORH 
HERD  BOOK,"   ETC. 

c  o:n'te:  J^^T  S: 


Introduction. — Tillage  Husbandry 
— Grazing — Feeding — Breeding  — 
Planting,  etc. 

Chapter  I.  —Soils  —  Classification — 
Description  —  Management  —  Pro- 
perties. 

Chapter  II. — Inorganic  Manures — 
Mineral  —  Stone  —  Earth  —  Phos- 
phatic. 

Chapter  III. — Organic  Manures  — 
Their  Composition — Animal— Ve- 
getable. 

Chapter  IV. — ^Irrigation  and  Drain- 
ing. 

Chapter  V. — Mechanical  Divisione 
of  Soils  —  Spading  —  Plowing— Im- 
plements. 

Chapter  VI.— The  Grasses— Clovers 
—  Meadows  — Pasture."?  —  Compara- 
tive Values  of  Grasses — Implements 
for  tlieir  Cultivation. 

CHAPT3R  VII. — Grain,  and  its  Culti- 
vation —  Varieties  —  Growth — Har- 
vesting. 

Chapteb  VIII.— Leguminous  Plants 
—The  Pea— Bean— English  Field 
Bean— Tare  or  Vetch—Cultivation 
— Harvesting. 

Chapter  IX.— Roots  and  Esculents- 
Varieties— Growth  —  Cultivation  — 
Securing  the  Crops— Uses— Nutri- 
tive Equivalents  ot  Different  Kinds 
of  Forage. 

Chapteb  X.— Fruits— Apples— Cider 
— Vinegar— Pears— Quinces— Plums 
Peaches  —  Apricots  —  Nectarines  — 
Smaller  Fruits-Planting— Cultiva- 
tion—Gathering-Preserving. 

CHAPrsB  XI.— Miscellaneous  Objects 
or  Cultivation,  a-iide  from  the  Or- 
dinary Farm  Crops— Broom-corn— 
Flus— Cotton— Hemp— Sugar  Cane 
Sorghum— Maple  Sugar  -Tobacco— 
Indigo— .Madder- Wood— Sumach- 
Teasel  —  Mustard  —  Hops  —  Castor 
Bean. 

Chapteb  XII.— .\ids  and  Objects  of 
Agriculture  —  Rotation  of  Crops, 
and  tbeir  Effects— Wceds-Rostoru- 


tion  of  Worn-out  Soils — Fertilizing 
Barren  Lands — Utility  of  Birds — 
Fences  —  Hedges  —  Farm  Roads — 
Shade  Trees— Wood  Lands— Time 
of  Cutting  Timber  —  Tool^— Agri- 
cultural Education?of  the  Farmer. 

Chapter  XIII. — Farm  Buildings — 
House  ^Barn — Sheds  —  Cisterns — • 
Various  othcrOutbuildings— Steam- 
ing  Apparatus. 

Chapter  XIV. — Domestic  Animals 
— Breeding — Anatomy— Respiration 
— Consumption  of  Food. 

CuAP'jER  XV.— Neat  or  Homed  Cattle 
Devons  —  Herefords — Ayreshires  — 
Galloways  —  Short  -  horns  —  Alder- 
neys  or  Jerseys — Dutch  or  Holstein 
— Management  from  Birth  to  Milk- 
ing, Labor,  or  Slaughter. 

Chapter  XVI.— The  Dairy- Milk- 
Butter — Cheese — Different  Kinds — 
Manner  of  Working. 

Chapter  XVII.  —  Sheep  —  Merino — 
Saxon— South  Down  —  The  Long- 
wooled  Breeds — Cotswold— Lincoln 
—  Breeding  —  Management  —  Shep- 
herd Dogs. 

Chapter  XVIII. —The  Horse— De- 
scription of  Different  Breeds— Their 
Various  Uses— Breeding— Manage- 
ment. 

Chapter  XIX. —The  Ass— Mule  — 
Comparative  Labor  of  Working 
Animals. 

Chapter  XX.  —  Swine  —  Different 
Breeds  —  Breeding — Rearing  —  Fat- 
tening— Curing  Pork  and  Hams. 

Chapter  XXI. — Poultry — Hens,  or 
Barndoor  Fowls  —  Turkey  —  Pea- 
cock-Guinea Hen — Goose  —  Duck 
— Honey  Bees. 

Chapteb  XXII. — Diseases  of  Ani- 
mals—What Autlioritv  Shall  Wo 
Adoi)t  ?  —  Sheep  —  Swfne  —  Treat- 
ment  and  Breedinir  of  Horses. 

Cii.^PTER  XXIII.— Conclusion— Gene- 
ral Remarks  —  The  Farmer  who 
Lives  by  his  Occupation— The  .\ma- 
teur  Farmer — Sundry  Usefhl  Tables. 


SENT    POST-PAID,  PHICE  $2.50. 

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75  1    Broadway,    New-York. 


TALKS     ON     MANURES. 

By  JOSEPH  HARRIS,  M.  S. 

<if  ilorelon  Finn,  liochester,  Aew   York.     AiU/Mr  of  "  Wulkx  and  Talks  on  the 


Fartn,"  "  Talk9  on  Farm  Crops,"  "Harris  on  the  Pig,"  etc. 


While  we  have  no  lack  of  treatises  npon  artificial  fuitilizfie,  tliorc  i:<  no  work 
in  whicli  the  main  stay  of  llie  farm— the  manarc  made  upon  the  farm — is  treated  so 
satisfactorily  or  thoronjhly  as  in  this  volume.    Starting  witli  tlieqne«lioi) 

the  author,  well-known  on  both  sides  of  the  water  by  his  writinjjs,  runs  tlirouirh  in 
sufficient  detail  every  source  of  manure  on  the  farm,  discussing  the  methods  of 
making  rich  manure  ;  the  proper  keeping  and  applying  it,  and  especially  the 

USES    OF    3JA1VXJRE, 

and  the  eflFects  of  different  artificial  fertilizers,  as  compared  with  farmyard 
manure,  upon  different  crops.  In  this  he  makes  free  use  of  the  striking  series  of 
experiments  instituted  years  ago,  and  still  continued,  by  Lawes  and  Gilbert,  of 
RothanistL-d,  England.    The 

RE>XARIi^VBLE     T^VBLES 

in  which  the  results  of  these  experiments  are  K'ven,  are  here  for  the  first  time 
made  accessible  to  the  American  farmer.  In  fact,  there  is  scarcely  any  point  re- 
lating; to  fertilizing  the  soil,  including  the  suitable  manures  for  special  crop^, 
that  is  not  treated,  and  while  the  teachings  arc  founded  upon  the  most  elaborate 
scientific  researches,  they  are  so  far  divested  of  the  technical  language  of  science 
as  to  commend  themselves  to  farmers  as  eminently  "practical."  It  is  not  often 
that  the  results  of  scientific  investigations  are  presented  in  a  manner  so  thoroughly 
popular.  12mo.     PRICE.  POST-PAID.  $1.50. 

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7  copies  for  §8 ;  10  or  more  copies,  only  §1  each.    Single  Numbers,  15  cents. 

AMERIKAUISCHER  AGHICULTUHIST. 

The  only  purely  Agricultural  German  paper  in  the  United  States,  and  the 
best  in  the  world.  It  contains  all  of  the  principal  matter  of  the  English  Edition, 
together  with  sjiccial  departments  for  German  cultivators,  i)repared  by  writers 
trained  for  the  work.    Terms  same  as  for  the  '•  American  Agriculturist." 

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